GOP Sen. Luther Strange of Alabama said Tuesday he believes President Donald Trump’s support will have a significant impact on the outcome of the Alabama Senate primary, which will be held Tuesday night.
“I predict that President Trump’s endorsement will be incredibly important because people want his agenda passed, I want his agenda passed, and I couldn’t be more honored that he has given me his endorsement and full support,” Strange said Tuesday morning on Fox News.
Strange was appointed to Attorney General Jeff Sessions former Senate seat in February by now-former Alabama Gov. Robert Bentley who has since been forced to resign amid a sex scandal.
Trump first endorsed Strange on Twitter August 8, praising the senator’s performance and offering his full support.
The move surprised one of Strange’s challengers, GOP Rep. Mo Brooks, who cast Strange as an establishment political insider in his response to Trump’s endorsement.
“I respect President Trump, but I am baffled and disappointed Mitch McConnell and the Swamp somehow misled the President into endorsing Luther Strange,” Brooks said in a statement.
Trump doubled down on his endorsement of Strange Monday, praising his commitment to the key points of the GOP agenda.
Trump lent further support to Strange, recording a campaign robocall in which he describes the important role Strange will play in passing his agenda.
“Hi, this is President Trump, and I love the people of Alabama. And I hope you go out and vote for Luther Strange,” Trump said before describing accomplishments such as the appointment of Supreme Court Justice Neil Gorsuch. “We are doing a lot of things that people said were impossible, but I need Luther to help us out.”
While Strange appears to have a comfortable lead on Brooks, he is struggling to keep pace with former Alabama Supreme Court chief justice Roy Moore, who is leading in the polls.
The special election for the seat is set for December 12.
All content created by the Daily Caller News Foundation, an independent and nonpartisan newswire service, is available without charge to any legitimate news publisher that can provide a large audience. All republished articles must include our logo, our reporter’s byline and their DCNF affiliation. For any questions about our guidelines or partnering with us, please contact licensing@dailycallernewsfoundation.org.