MONTGOMERY, Alabama--A bitter U.S. Senate race in Alabama with high stakes for President Donald Trump was too close to call on Tuesday, with Republican Roy Moore leading despite allegations against the candidate of sexual misconduct toward teenagers.
Moore, 70, a former Alabama Supreme Court chief justice, led former U.S. Attorney Doug Jones, 63, by about 53 percent to 46 percent with slightly more than half the votes counted.
Jones hopes to pull off an upset victory in a race in the deeply conservative Southern state that will test the political clout of Trump, who endorsed Moore. A win by Moore would strengthen Trump's grip on the Republican Party, as other Republican leaders have refused to back Moore.
A Jones victory could mean trouble for Trump and his populist political base. It would narrow the Republicans' already slim majority in the U.S. Senate, possibly making it harder for Trump to advance his policy agenda.
Moore has been accused by multiple women of pursuing them when they were teenagers and he was in his 30s, including one woman who said he tried to initiate sexual contact with her when she was 14. Moore has denied any misconduct and Reuters has not independently verified any of the accusations.
The accusations come amid a wave of such allegations against powerful men, including Trump. Democrats have signaled that, if Moore wins, they will try to tar Republicans as insensitive to women’s concerns.
Network exit polls showed Trump was not a factor in the decision for about half of Alabama voters. Some 29 percent said they voted to express support for Trump, and 20 percent said they voted to oppose him.
Exit polls also showed a heavy African-American turnout, a core constituency whose support is vital for Jones, with about 30 percent of the expected electorate black.
Moore showed up to vote at the Gallant Fire Department in northern Alabama on horseback, wearing a cowboy hat.
