By Glenn Stephens
Democratic incumbent Sen. Doug Jones raised $1.8 million for his election campaign during the past three months, outpacing the still-forming field of candidates for Alabama’s 2020 U.S. Senate elections.
Candidates for the Senate seat filed campaign finance reports Monday with the Federal Election Commission for the period of April 1 through June 30. Lists of individual donors are being processed by the FEC and will be available later.
Jones is the only Democrat who has filed with the FEC as a candidate in the March 3, 2020, party primaries for the Senate seat. Candidates have until Nov 8 to qualify with their parties to be on the ballot.
Jones reported raising $1.8 over the three-month period that ended June 30, bringing his fundraising total since his election to $7.23 million. He reported spending $841,60 during the most recent reporting period, leaving him with a cash balance of $4.26 million on June 30.
The field of candidates in the Republican primary next March 3 so far includes U.S. Rep. Bradley Byrne of Daphne, former Auburn University football coach Tommy Tuberville, former Alabama Chief Justice Roy Moore, Alabama Secretary of State John Merrill, state Rep. Arnold Mooney of Shelby County, John Paul Serbin of Moody, Stanley Adair of Haleyville and school teacher Marty Hatley of Boaz.
Byrne’s report showed contributions of $685,635 during the period and a total of $2.75 million for the election cycle to date. He listed expenditures of $290,269 during the past three months and an account balance of $2.44 million at the end of the period.
Tuberville made his first report for the campaign. He listed contributions of $421,251, plus a $1 million loan from himself; expenditures of $78,710; and a cash balance of $1.34 million.
Contributions reported by the other GOP candidates were: Merrill, $217,561; Adair, $134,431; Moore, $16,964; and Serbin, $450.
Hatley and Mooney reported no contributions.
The Rev. Jabbar Jarmal Sanders of Selma, an independent running in the race, also reported no contributions.
Jones was elected to the Senate in a special election in December 2017, defeating Moore in a hotly contest race.
The next reports will be for the quarter ending Sept. 30.
Photo by Keith Cooper