What looked like an interesting and competitive U.S. Senate race in Alabama, changed January 18, almost exactly four months ahead of our May 19 Republican primary election.
President Donald Trump’s endorsement of Congressman Barry Moore, coupled with the expected endorsement of Moore by the powerful and money laden “Club for Growth,” makes the Wiregrass congressman the prohibitive favorite in this open Senate seat race.
Moore, as a state legislator, was one of the first public officials to endorse newly minted presidential candidate Donald Trump. Moore, along with Sen. Jeff Sessions, spoke on behalf of Trump at a campaign rally in Mobile in August of 2015. Trump was getting significant media attention but was still considered a longshot. That was 10 years ago, during that decade Moore has continued his stalwart, steady support for President Trump and his conservative agenda.
Ironically, the seat Moore is now seeking, is the seat formerly held by Jeff Sessions. Senator Sessions served 20 years in that seat and was consistently recognized as the most conservative member of the U.S. Senate. Moore will more than likely replicate that conservative mantra and label as Alabama’s junior senator. He has an impeccable ultra conservative voting record during his six-year tenure in the U.S. House.
Barry Moore was born and raised in Coffee County, the same county as our Senior Sen. Katie Britt. In fact, both grew up in Enterprise, and both graduated from Enterprise High School. Therefore, if Moore is elected, both of Alabama’s U.S. senators will hail from the same hometown, Enterprise, which is a historic first. Although Moore will be our junior senator, he is 15 years Katie Britt’s senior in age. Moore is 59. Katie is 44.
Moore was first elected to the Alabama House of Representatives in 2010 and was in the Alabama House for eight years through 2018. He had an unremarkable tenure. He, as always, had a consistent, right-wing voting record when he attended. He was a close ally of former speaker Mike Hubbard.
Moore was elected to the U.S. Congress from the old Second District in 2020. He beat a favored, well-heeled Dothan businessman, probably because his opponent was perceived as a rich “country clubber” with an air of privilege. Moore came across as a regular farm born, Wiregrass, “aw-shucks,” plain spoken, true Trump conservative, good ole boy, and won an upset victory. Moore won an easy reelection victory in 2022.
In 2023, a federal court redrew Alabama’s congressional map to create a new Democratic minority district. This federal gerrymandering moved the white Republican voters in the Wiregrass into the same district with the First District, Baldwin/Mobile Republicans.
Moore became pitted against First District Republican, Jerry Carl. Moore, with the help of the “Club for Growth,” upset Carl. This Moore/Club for Growth coalition revealed how powerful and sophisticated a machine the national Club for Growth has become.
The Club for Growth has become the most powerful force in Republican Senatorial and Congressional races in Republican states in America. They are a quiet, dark money, right-wing organization made up of the multimillionaire/billionaire contributors. They want very restrained government spending, and back very conservative-proven candidates, who have conservative credentials.
At one time, when the “Club” was becoming established as the behemoth in Republican politics, they and Trump were at odds on some races. However, they seemed to coalesce into one solidly aligned team last year, with the passage of the Trump proposed, One Big Beautiful Bill. The Club brought their congressmen, most of whom belong to the right-wing Freedom Caucus, into the fold, probably because the Daddy Warbucks Club for Growth rich guys were given a significant tax cut in the bill.
President Donald Trump and the Club for Growth seem to be on the same team. This coalition marriage tandem of Donald Trump and Club for Growth will be difficult to overcome in any state Republican primary, especially in the Heart of Dixie.
My prediction is that with the Donald Trump and Club for Growth seal of approval, Barry Moore will be Alabama’s next junior U.S. senator.
We will soon see.
See you next week.
