Sen. Richard Shelby, R-Ala., revealed Monday he had already voted for an Alabama Republican to join him in the U.S. Senate, but that it wasn’t GOP candidate Roy Moore.
“No, no, no. I voted absentee,” Shelby told congressional reporters. “I didn’t vote for him. I voted for a distinguished Republican write-in.”
NEW: Alabama GOP Senator Richard Shelby says he’s voted absentee in Senate race. Didn’t vote for Roy Moore. He says he wrote someone in
— Laura Litvan (@LauraLitvan) November 27, 2017
Retired Marine Col. Lee Busby on Monday announced he would enter the race against Moore and Democratic challenger Doug Jones after allegations of sexual misconduct against Moore surfaced, according to The Daily Beast.
Moore has faced repeated calls from establishment Republicans to suspend his campaign in light of the accusations.
Shelby on Monday would not confirm whether he cast his ballot for Busby, incumbent Luther Strange, or Attorney General Jeff Sessions.
When pressed by journalists, he said only that he had written down the name of a real person and not cartoon character “Scooby-Doo.”
I, too, can confirm that Shelby said he did not vote for Scooby Doo in #ALSen. https://t.co/lwOpKu9OVg
— Emma Loop (@LoopEmma) November 28, 2017
On a more serious note, Shelby added the results of the Dec. 12 special election could be close.
“I don’t know. I really don’t know,” he said. “The polls look tight.”
Sen. Richard Shelby wouldn’t say who he voted for instead of Roy Moore in the Alabama Senate race. He’d only say it was an Alabama Republican.
Asked what he thinks the final results will be, Shelby said, “I don’t know. I really don’t know. The polls look tight.”
— Emma Loop (@LoopEmma) November 28, 2017
The contest will decide who will take Sessions’ former Senate seat and whether the GOP can retain their 52-48 majority in the upper chamber.
