Alabama Sen. Richard Shelby: "I voted for a distinguished Republican write-in"
Alabama Senator Richard Shelby followed through on a claim he made to reporters that he would intend to write-in a "distinguished Republican" for his state's highly contentious Senate race.
According to The Hill newspaper, Shelby told reporters on Monday that he did not vote for Republican candidate Roy Moore in his absentee ballot.
"No, no, no, I voted absentee. I didn't vote for him. I voted for a distinguished Republican write-in," Shelby said on Monday, making good on promises he made to reporters earlier this month.
"I'm not going to write myself in, I wouldn't do that, but I will be writing in a distinguished Republican," said Shelby in response to reporter's questions on Capitol Hill some two weeks ago, referring to the allegations surrounding Moore a "disturbing situation in Alabama."
Over a dozen senators have since called for Moore to step aside from the race after five accusers came forward to allege that Moore had pursued them when they were teens.
At a rally on Monday, Moore once again denied the various allegations leveled against him, calling them "dirty politics" and vowing to "take off the gloves" in the final days of campaigning.
Shelby had previously endorsed Republican Luther Strange in the Alabama race, calling him the "right person" to serve as senator. He's since suggested to ABC News that Moore should "seriously consider dropping out" ahead of the Dec. 12 general election.
