By Erica Thomas, managing Editor
Congressman Mo Brooks (R-AL05) confirmed to 1819 News he has replaced his campaign staff and is hoping the change will lead to more funds for his campaign for Senate.
“Major, major monetary support likely to flow as a result [of the change],” Brooks said.
The new team consists of some of the same people that helped Brooks in his 2017 campaign for the United States Senate special election. Brooks said some in the team also worked for Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee.
Both Brooks and Lee were endorsed by President Donald Trump. Lee won his election, a win Brooks called "unexpected."
Robert Cahaly, a well-known pollster, will be Senior Advisor. Brooks' new Campaign Manager is Forrest Barnwell-Hagemeyer, who worked on a previous campaign with Brooks. Fred Davis, a Republican media consultant who worked on Richard Shelby's campaigns, is also joining the Brooks' team.
A November poll showed opponent Katie Britt, former Business Council of Alabama President and CEO, ahead of Brooks and other candidates vying to replace retiring Sen. Richard Shelby (R-Alabama). That poll, by Cygnal, an analytics company in Washington, polled 650 Republican voters from Nov. 3 – 4. Results showed Britt with 24% and Congressman Mo Brooks at 22%.
Brooks said a new internal poll shows him ahead of all candidates. He said the biggest change is veteran Mike Durant catching up to Britt in the polls. In fact, he said one poll he has seen from an Alabama source shows Durant and Britt tied. Brooks said he thinks it is possible that he will end up being in a runoff against Durant rather than Britt, although he said his latest leads in polls are at a larger margin.
"And so I have to adjust my campaign strategy," Brooks said. "Because I would much rather face Katie Britt in a runoff than Mike Durant."
Brooks said it would be easier to run against Britt because her record is clear and he can prove his points by pointing to that record.
"She has a record," Brooks said. "So, she can't very easily say one thing and do another. Mike Durant, on the other hand, can very easily pretend to be a conservative when he's not, and it's difficult to prove that he's not a conservative, because he doesn't have a track record."
Durant, an Army veteran and former prisoner of war, and businessman, is running for "policies that put America first."
1819 News has requested to view the polls Brooks is referring to and was told one of those polls was done internally. The Brooks campaign said it will work to share the polls.
Brooks is currently serving in his sixth term representing Alabama’s Fifth Congressional District. He previously served as Madison County Commissioner, district attorney, and in the Alabama House of Representatives.
East Alabama businesswoman Jessica Fair Taylor is also in the race for Shelby’s Senate seat. Former Ambassador to Slovenia Lynda Blanchard dropped out of the race this week and announced she will run for governor.
This is a developing story and will be updated as more information becomes available.
To connect with the author of this story, or to comment, email erica.thomas@1819News.com.
