Alabama Governor Kay Ivey just gave the struggling Roy Moore Senate campaign a big boost. Ivey said she would cast her ballot for the Republican nominee, citing the need to maintain a GOP majority in the Senate.
Ivey, answering questions from reporters after the traditional Thanksgiving turkey pardon event at the governor’s mansion, said protecting the Republican majority in the Senate was a major factor.
“I’m going to cast my ballot on December the 12th, and I do believe the nominee of the party is the one I’ll vote for,” Ivey said. “I believe in the Republican Party, what we stand for, and most important, we need to have a Republican in the United States Senate to vote on things like the Supreme Court justices, other appointments the Senate has to confirm and make major decisions. So that’s what I plan to do, vote for Republican nominee Roy Moore.”
Earlier this week, Ivey had said she would “hold judgment until we get more of the facts” concerning a vote for Moore.
Ivey said today she was bothered by the allegations against Moore, but had to weigh all the available information. She was asked if she believed Moore’s accusers.
“I certainly have no reason to disbelieve any of them,” Ivey said. “The timing is a little curious. But at the same time, I have no reason to disbelieve them.”
Ivey was asked, given her statement that she did not have a reason to disbelieve the women, how the accusations made her feel as a woman.
“There’s never an excuse for or rationale for sexual misconduct or sexual abuse,” Ivey said. “It bothers me.”
Ivey said that concern was a factor in her decision.
“Consider all the information that you have,” Ivey said. “Certainly, it has an impact. But at the same time, the United States Senate needs to have in my opinion, a majority of Republican votes to carry the day and when they have to consider other major decisions. So that’s a factor, as well.”
Ivey is dancing on the head of a pin and she knows it. She supports Moore, even though she believes the women who accuse him of, at the very least, sexual deviancy.
But you don’t win the governorship of any state without a keen sense of political survival. The Alabama state GOP announced on Thursday that they were standing behind Moore and Ivey stands with them. Where the rest of the voters stand is an open question at this point, but with the party and the governor firmly behind him, Moore’s chances of winning are considerably better today than they were at the beginning of the week.
Fortunately, Moore had about a month to recover, which could mean the difference between a narrow victory and a humiliating defeat. As long as no accusers come forward who might have proof of a liaison with Moore, he can continue to deny the reports as “fake news” and satisfy a majority of Alabama voters.
Join the conversation as a VIP Member