(draft) Strategy Memo - Runoff Period

Wanted to let you know how this is shaking out To: Team Doug CC: Senator Doug Jones Re: Where we stand The Race Today With 100% of precincts reporting, we are confident in our assessment of the 2020 primary in Alabama. The Republican Senate primary is going to a runoff, with Tommy Tuberville and Jeff Sessions advancing. We expect a back-and-forth race between them until March 31 (the runoff election) and more money pouring into the state from outside groups as they attempt to make it to the general election. We saw over $1.3 million spent already and expect that trend to continue. We have a four-week period during the runoff when we can really drill down on fundraising and building our organization to ensure that we have a campaign that will beat either one of them in November. Tommy Tuberville Tommy Tuberville made millions as the head football coach at Auburn, then left Alabama for greener pastures. When he declared candidacy in the Senate race one year ago, he had been living and voting in Florida. Accused of carpetbagging (moving into the state for the sole reason of running for office), he admitted to one group that that was exactly what he had done, saying “I’m a carpetbagger of this country.” Tuberville has consistently shown a lack of understanding of the issues and an unwillingness to examine or explain his positions. He has repeatedly attacked the LGBTQ community. He has advocated for extreme policies -- showing over and over that he sides with the far-right fringe. Among his most concerning positions are his complete misunderstanding of and disregard for Social Security, Medicaid, and Medicare. Tuberville has advocated for gutting these critical services. Alabama’s seniors, disabled community, and rural communities could suffer greatly if Tommy Tuberville had his way. Simply put, he’s too extreme for Alabama. Jeff Sessions Sessions, as someone who held this seat for twenty years, is significantly weaker than he should be. He did not capture a plurality of votes last night, and has been humiliated in recent years, including his firing by the White House and second-place finish in the Republican primary. Years of notoriety on the national stage make Sessions vulnerable, and the divisiveness he brings to this election is something the people of Alabama are tired of. This is a man who voted twice against reauthorizing the Violence Against Women Act, and who has been accused of racist behavior in the workplace. More recently, as Attorney General, he oversaw disastrous and shameful actions on our border, spearheading and defending the administration’s unpopular family separation policy. Sessions’ first attempt at Senate confirmation, for a nomination to the federal bench in 1986, was derailed after Coretta Scott King wrote a letter stating that Sessions worked to undo the work her husband, Martin Luther King Jr., fought and died for. It is worth noting that, when Sessions was in the Senate, he was an ineffective legislator. He has always been more of an ideologue than a statesman. With rural hospitals at risk of closure and alarming racial health disparities in the state, Alabamians need a Senator who is able and willing to work for them. Jeff Sessions is not that Senator, and the people of Alabama know it. Jeff Sessions is too divisive and too extreme for Alabama. Byrne’s Loss -- What it Tells Us Bradley Byrne was the early favorite in this primary. He staked the entirety of his campaign on how far to the right he could go. It didn’t work. Voters saw through it, and he couldn’t gain much traction beyond his Congressional district. The remaining candidates have taken a similar approach, but were boosted by statewide name ID. Our team believes they are making a grave miscalculation, the same one made by Mitch McConnell and the Republicans in 2017: the people of Alabama don’t want to hear about how extreme a candidate can get. They want to know what they will do to support the people of the state -- to bring us together, solve the real problems we face, and do the job they’re elected to do. Doug Jones is the only person who has shown he’s up to the task. Our Path to Victory With a team already on the ground and growing -- as well as consistently outraising all opponents combined, Doug Jones is in a strong position to win. We expect Tuberville and Sessions to double down on division. Neither has clear policy goals or a positive, pro-Alabama record. Doug has both. Energy and momentum seems to be on our side as well. Voters are turning out for unity and they are tuning out division. Democratic primary participation was 11% higher last night than it was in 2016, while it fell by 16% on the Republican side -- despite more than a year of campaigning. If we can keep building our program, spreading the One Alabama message, and we fundraise enough to counter the lies and attacks coming our way, we will win. ### PAID FOR BY DOUG JONES FOR SENATE COMMITTEE PO Box 131025 Birmingham, AL 35213 This message was sent to: {EMAIL}. Contributions or gifts to Doug Jones for Senate Committee are not deductible for federal income tax purposes. An individual or non-multicandidate federal PAC may contribute a maximum of $2,800 per election. A multi-candidate Federal PAC may contribute a maximum of $5,000 per election. The 2020 Primary and 2020 General elections are separate elections. Contributions from corporations, labor organization treasury funds, foreign nationals, and federal government contractors are prohibited. 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