News Americas, NEW YORK, NY, Weds. Dec. 13, 2017: Millions continue to celebrate the stunning election Tuesday night of Alabama Democratic Senatorial candidate, Doug Jones, to the US Senate, including Caribbean American Congresswoman Yvette Clarke.
Shortly after CNN projected Jones as the winner of the heated race that saw Jones turn a ruby red state blue, Clarke tweeted a simple message to the Senator-elect: “Welcome to Washington, @GDouglasJones!” under the meme of rapper Drake cheering from the sidelines.
Her celebratory tweet reflected the mood of many Democrats across the country and even some moderate Republicans who refused to support Judge Roy Moore, the controversial Republican candidate who was accused of sexually assaulting young girls.
Former President Bill Clinton tweeted congratulations to Jones as well , noting: “You were a great US Attorney, and you ran a terrific campaign. You deserve this win. It’s a win for the people of Alabama” while Senator Cory Booker, who campaigned with Jones last weekend, tweeted: “Thank you Alabama and thank you Doug Jones. I am so proud tonight that the great state of Alabama gave the whole country a needed renewal of hope and the first ray of light of a rising sun and a coming new day. Let’s savor this victory and then let’s get back to work.”
Jones for his part credited African-American and Latino voters especially for handing him the win over the divisive Moore even as Jones supporter, Charles Barkley, urged Democrats to pay attention to the black and poor voting roll and quit taking them for granted.
Moore last night declined to concede, insisting that he would wait until the military votes are counted to see whether he would move within the half a percentage point victory needed to ensure an automatic recount. By contrast, President Donald Trump, who had jumped in to fully support Moore in the past week and who many analysts claimed helped hand the Republican candidate a defeat tweeted surprisingly: “Congratulations to Doug Jones on a hard fought victory. The write-in votes played a very big factor, but a win is a win.”
Jones, a former prosecutor, is set to the sworn in, in January once the election is certified on Dec. 26th.
