A defiant Roy Moore declined on Wednesday to concede the Alabama Senate special election to Doug Jones (D), saying that he is waiting on the Alabama secretary of State to certify the vote count.
In a wide-ranging video address posted online, Moore said that the race between him and Jones remained close and that military and provisional ballots had yet to be counted.
“We are indeed in a struggle to preserve our republic, our civilization, and our religion and to set free a suffering humanity,” he said. “And the battle rages on.”
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The address touched on themes familiar to the former state Supreme Court chief justice’s political career. He admonished what he deemed immorality and expanding secularism in American society and warned of impending judgment from God.
“Today, we no longer recognize the universal truth that God is the author of our life and liberty,” he said. “Abortion, sodomy and materialism have taken the place of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.”
The address came a day after Jones pulled off an upset win over Moore in the race to serve out the remainder of Attorney General Jeff Sessions’s term.
After the race was called for Jones Tuesday night, Moore did not concede. Instead, his campaign manager suggested that the votes may need to be recounted, citing a state law mandating a recount if the final margin of victory is within half a percentage point.
Jones beat Moore by 1.5 percentage points, 49.9 percent to 48.5 percent.