U.S. Congressman Mo Brooks is the true conservative in Alabama’s U.S. Senate race, but his ability to fight special interests and the Republican establishment now depends on his supporters, he told a crowd in Vestavia Hills Friday.
“I need you to vote 10 times on Tuesday. America needs to you to vote 10 times on Tuesday, and the way to do it legally is to bring nine people with you,” Brooks urged a crowd at the Valley Hotel.
Brooks is making a final push before Tuesday’s primary runoff to close the gap between himself and frontrunner Katie Britt, an attorney and former Chief of Staff for U.S. Sen. Richard Shelby (R-Ala.), whose seat she’s running to fill.
U.S. Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY) joined Brooks on the campaign trail to speak with him at events across the state Friday. Paul’s endorsement and public support comes as President Trump announced last week that he will back Britt.
At the midday rally, Paul stood with Brooks on stage and told the crowd he believes Brooks can win if his supporters get mobilized and bring their friends and families to the polls.
“Alabama, I’ve got something I want to ask from you. Please don’t send us red sauce. We need some red-hot Tabasco,” he said of Brooks’s approach to politics.
America is at risk of out-of-control inflation and the passage of gun control legislation, Brooks warned the audience in a brief and energetic speech. His supporters are patriots, he said, motivated by a desire to improve their country and their own lives, not by wealth or the right to government subsidies.
“This is your country. This is your state,” Brooks said, “And we have evil forces at work that corrupt the public policy debate in Washington D.C.”
Final push
In the final days before Tuesday’s runoff, Britt leads the race by 16 percentage points, according to the most recent polls.
Britt has 18 campaign staff members and more volunteers knocking on doors and contacting voters by phone and text to get out the vote, according to her campaign spokesperson. Brooks declined to tell AL.com how many people he has working on his effort but noted that his helpers are volunteers.
Financial support from Sen. Shelby and other establishment Republican leaders in Washington D.C. and in Alabama have aided Britt’s efforts. As of the most recent federal filings from June 1, Britt’s campaign had over $1.2 million on hand. Brooks had just over $733,000
Without attacking Britt directly in his address, Brooks separated himself from the influence of his party’s establishment.
“They are special interests and see us as sheep that can be led astray, and we have to make sure that we are still individual Americans, and we have some intellect, and we’re going to do what our country needs us to do.”
Paul lamented that Republican senators haven’t stood strong behind legislation to balance the federal budget or to fire Dr. Anthony Fauci. He said it matters now what kind of Republican Alabama elects.
“If I’m chairman of the committee, I’ve got to have Republicans in the committee to vote to give me subpoena power.”
Brooks’s campaign took a blow after President Trump’s decision to withdraw his endorsement in March, but by the May primary, Brooks was again rising in the polls. He managed to come in second place after Britt, who beat him in 62 of Alabama’s 67 counties.
After the primary, Brooks took to twitter to ask President Trump to re-endorse his race. Last week Trump went the other direction, endorsing Britt’s campaign. Brooks lamented Trump’s lack of loyalty.
Instead, Brooks had Paul to fall back on.
Paul reminded the crowd that primary runoffs can be unpredictable because the number of voters who participate is relatively low. Turnout in this race matters for the future of the country, he argued.
“We need some cayenne pepper,” he said of how Brooks could help shake up the Senate.
Paul rounded out his rallying cry, saying people should stand up against Critical Race Theory. He recalled an encounter with Black Lives Matter protestors on the streets of Washington, D.C. They spat on him, he said, called his wife foul names and threw liquid. He noted the police officers who helped him and his wife get away from the protestors were also Black.
“Here’s the thing, this isn’t about race.” Race doesn’t matter but morality does, he said, asking the crowd to help Brooks win.
“It’s about whether you stand up and believe there is a real right and wrong.”
Update: This story was updated at 5:00 p.m. Friday to reflect updated FEC campaign information
