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An Alabama Senate Candidate Keeps Democratic Leaders Away — but Not Their Money - The New York Times

posted onNovember 15, 2017
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Article snippet: At first glance, Doug Jones, the Democratic nominee for Senate in Alabama, appears to be running a lonely race against Roy S. Moore, the arch-conservative former judge whose candidacy is being swallowed by accusations that he sexually assaulted teenage girls. National Democratic groups have not spent a dollar on their own television or radio commercials promoting Mr. Jones, a former federal prosecutor. The party’s most popular campaigners, such as former President Barack Obama and Senator Bernie Sanders, independent of Vermont, have not set foot in the state. As Republicans in Washington pressure Mr. Moore to leave the race — with the Republican National Committee pulling its financing on Tuesday — Democratic leaders convey a stark public message to Mr. Jones: You’re on your own. “It’s an Alabama race,” Senator Chuck Schumer of New York, the Democratic leader, said at a news conference on Monday, repeating the phrase three times for emphasis. But the national Democrats’ ostensibly arm’s-length treatment of Mr. Jones belies a far deeper investment in the race. Senate Democrats covet Alabama’s Senate seat, passionately, but, as Mr. Schumer demonstrated, they are acutely aware of the risk of being seen as orchestrating the race from afar. As Mr. Jones has gained ground against Mr. Moore, Democrats have taken measured steps to shore up his candidacy, helping Mr. Jones raise money and battering Republicans who have been slow to denounce their party’s embattled nominee... Link to the full article to read more

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