Doug Jones' victory over former Chief Justice Roy Moore in a December 2017 special election is arguably the high point for Alabama Democrats over the past two decades.
It was also a highlight for national Democrats, following President Donald Trump's 2016 election win over Hillary Clinton.
However, political reality set in for the 2020 election cycle, as Tommy Tuberville defeated Jones by 20 points to win that U.S. Senate seat back for Republicans.
Could a Tuberville-Jones rematch be in the works?
Should he announce a gubernatorial bid, some political watchers say Tuberville would be the prohibitive favorite to win the Republican nomination.
During an interview with "Alabama Politics This Week," Jones, fresh off his appearance at an anti-Trump protest in Tuscaloosa, was asked about the possibility of a return to election politics for the 2026 cycle.
Transcript as follows:
JOSH MOON, CO-HOST: We'll get you out of here on this. I know you got to run, you got other commitments and stuff, but I did want to ask one thing, kind of bringing it back around to the state.
JONES: Don't even go there. I know where you're going.
MOON: We're going to go. We got to go because there needs to be somebody at the top of the ticket in 2026 that drives this thing. You know, I mean, whether or not there's an opportunity for, first of all, I think if your old nemesis Tommy Tuberville runs, there may be some legal opportunities for a victory.
But if not — even regardless of that, I think that somebody, we've got to have somebody at the top of the ticket, I believe, and a couple of somebodies actually. I think there ought to be somebody running for AG, somebody running for Lieutenant Governor, somebody running for Governor that drives people to the polls to help those down-ballot races that we talked about, those important legislative races and other things. So do you know anybody who might be interested in that?
JONES: You know, look, I think you're right, first of all, if we could find good candidates at the top. And look, we have to be candid that the Democratic Party bench is not as strong as it should be because one person, Josh, or even two, can't drive that per se. You've got to have some down-ballot races. That's why I'm talking about recruiting for State House and State Senate. You're going to see, I think, some pretty good candidates coming out of the Democrats right now, that are going to challenge some of these Republican members of Congress that may not have gotten challenged before. And the goal there is as much to win, but also just to be competitive. And that's what you've got. You know, I know where you're going, and I appreciate it very much.
I must tell you, just like I've said over the last couple of weeks, when all this came out about Tuberville, and I agree with you, by the way. And I don't know if you heard my comment in Tuscaloosa. I never even have to finish it, but I kept talking about the cuts of the federal government and the cuts to the Department of Education and said, if there was one person in the state of Alabama that could benefit from the Department of Education, it — and the crowd knew exactly where I was going, I'm going to stay in this fight, OK? And I think it is a fight right now. It is a fight for the heart and soul of America, for the heart and soul of Alabama. I've got a lot going on.
I am looking how best to stay in that fight with the groups that I'm working with on a national level, the groups I'm working with on a state level. You know, I'm going to stay in this fight one way or another. What that means at this point, I can't say. And I truly can't say. It's not that I'm not prepared to say. It's I really can't say. I want to see how things go.
And for someone like me, it's still a little early because of, you know, the dynamics or such that I don't necessarily wouldn't have to need the same kind of prep that others do. But I want to stay in the fight and I also want to help. I want to help anybody that can be competitive in these districts. But again, I go back to something. And that is Democrats have to be ruthless in their efforts to win certain elections. And that means focusing on elections on some races to the detriment, maybe of others. But we got to try to figure out how to break those super majorities. That to me is the most critical factor. And I want to help out doing that somehow some way. So stand in the fight, not answering your questions.
Jeff Poor is the editor-in-chief of 1819 News and host of "The Jeff Poor Show," heard Monday-Friday, 9 a.m.-noon on Mobile's FM Talk 106.5. To connect or comment, email [email protected] or follow him on Twitter @jeff_poor.
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