Republican candidate Roy Moore is trailing his Democratic rival Doug Jones by 12 points in Alabama’s Senate election, according to a poll conducted by the National Republican Senatorial Committee, after multiple women accused Moore of sexual misconduct when they were teenagers and he was in his early 30s.
In a Washington Post report last week, four women accused Moore of pursuing them as teenagers. One of the accusers, Leigh Corfman, 53, said that Moore took her to his house when she was just 14, where he undressed her, groped her, and placed her hand on his underwear.
Another accuser, Beverly Young Nelson, said Monday at a news conference that Moore groped her when she was 16 and threatened her not to tell anyone.
Moore, 70, and his campaign have claimed that the allegations are fabricated.
According to Politico, the poll found Jones leading Moore in the race 51 to 39 percent. The finding marks a dramatic change from the same poll conducted in early October, which found Moore leading the race by 16 points.
The report noted that the NRSC cut financial ties with Moore after the allegations came to light, and the group’s chairman, Sen. Cory Gardner (R-Colo.) said Moore should be expelled from the Senate if he wins the election scheduled for Dec. 12. The Republican National Committee has also withdrawn its support for Moore.
GOP lawmakers are weighing an alternative to Moore’s candidacy such as launching a write-in campaign for another Alabama Republican.
Other polls suggest Moore may still be ahead. A FOX10 News/Strategy Research poll conducted on Nov. 13 found Moore leading Jones at 49 percent to 43 percent with 8 percent still undecided. The poll surveyed 3,000 likely voters.
