Roy Moore, defeated in a 2017 special election by Democratic Sen. Doug Jones, tops the field of Republican contenders for the U.S. Senate in Alabama, according to a fresh poll that is otherwise discouraging for Jones.
The Mason-Dixon survey, conducted April 9–11 and released Tuesday, showed that only 40% of registered voters would vote to reelect Jones, even though 45% of them approve of the job he is doing in Washington. But, in a bright spot for the incumbent Democrat, Moore, a flawed candidate who lost to Jones in deep red Alabama amid multiple allegations of sexual misconduct from decades ago, might be his opponent.
Moore garnered 27%, followed by Rep. Mo Brooks with 18%. Moore who has run repeatedly for statewide office, has been actively exploring a rematch against Jones, much to the chagrin of Republican insiders in both the insurgent and establishment wings of the party.
Rep. Bradley Byrne, who declared a run for Senate earlier this year, was third in the survey with 13%, trailed by Rep. Gary Palmer, another potential candidate, and Del Marsh, a wealthy state legislator who is expected to jump in at some point and registered 4%. However, Moore benefits somewhat from being the most well-known of the group, a liability the others can rectify.
President Trump is popular in Alabama, where 49% of self-described independents say they would vote to replace Jones, with only 35% saying they would re-elect him. The Mason-Dixon poll had a margin of error of 4 percentage points.
