SCOTTSBORO — U.S. Rep. Mo Brooks (R-Huntsville) this past weekend took his U.S. Senate campaign to Jackson County, where he took part in a town hall with local Republican voters.
Alabama’s 2022 race for the U.S. Senate has seen the top-three leading candidates profess to be “political outsiders” in their own rights. Brooks, U.S. Army veteran Mike Durant and former Business Council of Alabama CEO Katie Britt have all adopted similar messaging in the regard.
Durant and Britt have touted the fact that they are first-time candidates for public office and have labeled Brooks as a “career politician” due to him having held some form of elected office since 1982. Brooks, on the other hand, suggests that his political career works to his advantage due to him holding an established voting record.
Prior to Brooks taking the podium at Cattle Stampede Steakhouse in Scottsboro, State Rep. Tommy Hanes (R-Bryant) and Ritchie Whorton (R-Owens Cross Roads) announced their endorsement of the candidate’s bid to replace retiring U.S. Sen. Richard Shelby (R-Ala.).
Brooks opened his remarks by sounding the alarm over what he deemed to be the “socialist march on America” and chided congressional GOP leadership who he asserted had not adequately prioritized achieving former President Donald Trump’s agenda when Republicans controlled the legislative branch.
“[W]e need not just people who are conservatives, but also people who will fight for our conservative values and not be enticed to do the wrong thing by the money that flows – if you do what the special interest groups want,” declared Brooks. “Who won’t be enticed to do the wrong thing because they covet a pretty little nicely-worded editorial on some medium of some kind.”
He added, “We need people who are going to stand by their guns. And I will submit to you that I am the only conservative who is running in this race. And I believe I can establish that and back it up with evidence.”
According to Brooks, the voting record he has compiled since first being elected to Congress in 2010 sets him apart from the rest of the GOP primary field.
“Now certainly, without question, I’m the only one who can prove that I’m a conservative versus any of the others – the only candidate,” continued Brooks. “What do I mean by that? I’m the only one with a track record. As far as I know, none of the other five candidates for the United States Senate have ever held an elected office. Certainly, in the top three, I am the only one who has served in elected office. Now, why is that important? It is important because elected office is where you really find out what an officeholder’s metal is, whether they’re going to keep their campaign promises and vote as they promised you when they were seeking your vote. Whether they’re going to keep their word.”
Dylan Smith is a staff writer for Yellowhammer News. You can follow him on Twitter @DylanSmithAL
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