Alabama Senate race results formally certified
Results from the highly-anticipated Alabama special election have been formally certified on Thursday.
State officials in Montgomery, Alabama certified Democrat Doug Jones as the winner of the narrow race against embattled Republican Judge Roy Moore.
Moore, who over the course of the campaign had been accused by numerous women of sexual misconduct, refused to concede to Jones immediately following the stunning upset.
Jones defeated Moore by over 20,000 votes.
The Senator-elect released a statement shortly after the certification saying he was "looking forward to going to work for the people of Alabama in the new year."
Jones added, "As I said on election night, our victory marks a new chapter for our state and the nation. I will be an independent voice and work to find common ground with my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to get Washington back on track and fight to make our country a better place for all."
The certification comes just one day after an election complaint was filed on behalf of Moore and his campaign. According to a release from the Moore campaign, "The purpose of the complaint is to preserve evidence of potential election fraud and to postpone the certification of Alabama's Special Election by Secretary of State John Merrill until a thorough investigation of potential election fraud, that improperly altered the outcome of this election, is conducted."
The complaint also included an affidavit from Judge Roy Moore stating that he successfully completed a polygraph test confirming the representations of misconduct made against him during the campaign are completely false.
But just hours before the certification, an Alabama judge rejected Moore's attempt to stop the state from making his defeat official.
Montgomery Circuit Judge Johnny Hardwick on Thursday denied Moore's attempt to delay the certification of votes while Moore's claims of voting irregularities were investigated.
Moore released a statement to supporters after Thursday's certification, doubling down on his claims of election fraud.
"I've had to fight not only the Democrats but also the Republican Senate Leadership Fund and over $50 million in opposition spending from the Washington establishment. I have stood for the truth about God and the Constitution for the people of Alabama," said Moore.
He added, "I have no regrets. To God be the glory."
Jones will now become the first Democrat elected to the Senate in a quarter century in Alabama and will be officially sworn in by Vice President Mike Pence after lawmakers return from their holiday break on January 3rd.
