Alabama Senate runoff postponed until July
The March 31 runoff between former Attorney General Jeff Sessions and college football coach Tommy Tuberville was postponed over concerns about coronavirus.
Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey announced Wednesday the state is delaying primary runoff elections that were scheduled for later this month until July 14 because of concerns about coronavirus, delaying the GOP Senate runoff between former Attorney General Jeff Sessions and former Auburn University football coach Tommy Tuberville for more than three months.
“The ability to hold free and fair elections is an inherent right as citizens of the United States and the great state of Alabama, but the safety and wellbeing of Alabama citizens is paramount,” Ivey said in a statement released by her office.
Tuberville and Sessions finished in the top two spots in the March 3 primary and were set to face each other in the March 31 runoff to face Democratic Sen. Doug Jones. Ivey’s decision delays Republicans nominating a candidate to face Jones for more than three months. The race is Republicans’ top offensive target on the Senate map this cycle and has significant implications for which party controls the Senate next year.
President Donald Trump endorsed Tuberville after the former football coach earned the top spot in the primary, a blow to Sessions campaign with just weeks until the original runoff date. It’s unclear how the postponement will affect the race, although it will likely force both candidates to raise significantly more funds for the intraparty election and delay the beginning of a general election campaign against Jones, who won his party’s primary uncontested.
Sessions said in a statement that the “safety and health of Alabamians must take precedence.” He also took a shot at Tuberville, hinting at the implications of a longer primary election between the two candidates.
“We intend to maintain our vigorous campaign up until the last day, even as we are careful to do so in a manner that puts the health and safety of the public first,” Sessions said. “It will be very difficult for Tommy Tuberville to hide from debates for four months. He will have to conquer his fears, and face me and the voters.”
In a statement from his campaign, Tuberville said he understood the decision to delay the election. His campaign did not address Sessions’ criticism.
“I understand Gov. Ivey’s decision to postpone the runoff until July 14 and join her in encouraging all Alabamians to stay safe, be kind to their fellow citizens and follow all guidelines related to the Coronavirus,” Tuberville said. “I pray that the current health crisis will be brought under control and that lives will be saved.”
Jones, in a statement, also praised the decision. He called for expanding voting access by enacting early voting and expanding vote-by-mail. Ivey, during a press conference announcing the decision to postpone the runoff, said she did not see a reason to implement no-excuse absentee voting or expanding vote-by-mail, but also encouraged voters to request absentee ballots by citing health concerns over coronavirus.
The decision also postpones runoffs between Republicans running in for two open, GOP-leaning congressional seats.