New poll: Roy Moore up 5 points on Dem opponent

Alabama GOP Senate candidate Roy Moore holds a 5 point lead over his Democratic opponent, Doug Jones, as the race heads into the final two weeks, according to a new poll released Wednesday.

The JMC Analytics poll, conducted Monday and Tuesday, found 48 percent of voters support Moore, compared to 43 percent who support Jones. A previous JMC poll had Jones up 5 points, so the new survey appears to indicate Moore’s candidacy is on the rebound.

Several women have accused Moore of sexual misconduct, with multiple women alleging he pursued a relationship with them when they were teenagers and he was in his 30s.

{mosads}Moore has denied the allegations, calling them a conspiracy by establishment Republicans and the media to steal the election from Alabama voters.

In the wake of the allegations against Moore, 29 percent of voters said they are more likely to support the candidate, while 38 percent said they are less likely to support him. Another 34 percent said the allegations did not make a difference.

About 49 percent said they believe Moore is qualified to serve in the Senate based on his campaign thus far, while 46 percent said he is not qualified. 

President Trump last week all but endorsed Moore, saying he doesn’t want to see a Democrat in the Senate seat and emphasizing that Moore has denied the allegations. 

The president has also been critical of Jones, calling him weak on crime and bad for the military. 

Trump’s approval rating in Alabama sits at 52 percent, according to the poll, while 43 percent disapprove of the president’s performance.

The poll has a margin of error of 3.8 percentage points.