Doug Jones is the Democratic nominee for the Senate seat that was held for many years by now Attorney General Jeff Sessions. On December 12th he will face Roy Moore, who handily defeated Luther Strange in the GOP Senate runoff.

“There will be some people who cross over — perhaps even Republicans — and vote for Doug Jones. That’s possible,” American Family Association spokesman Rob Chambers recognizes. “We’ve seen in states where you have a conservative candidate running, and the Republican establishment does not like conservative candidates, unfortunately, and so they’ll do just about anything to make sure that candidate doesn’t win.”

Chambers

But Chambers hopes the GOP will help Moore shut down the Democratic challenger.

“If they dumped in, as reports indicate, around $30 million into the campaign to elect Luther Strange … going into the special election, they would indeed turn around and pour just as much, or even more, money to support Judge Moore, because why in the world would they not,” Chambers submits.

Regarding the race for retiring Republican Bob Corker’s Senate seat in Tennessee, a conservative political scientist believes it could end up being very much like the primary showdown in Alabama.

Since the two-term lawmaker announced he would not seek re-election next year, the Washington Examiner reports that at least four Republicans are seriously considering getting into the race.

Among the prospects is Governor Bill Haslam, who is term limited from running for re-election. Pundits in The Volunteer State consider him to be the Senate frontrunner by a country mile. But Dr. Charles Dunn, professor emeritus of government at Clemson University, believes conservative Congresswoman Marshall Blackburn, who is also considering a run, could be a serious contender.

“Right now I would say advantage to the governor,” Dr. Dunn comments. “But I would not count out Marsha Blackburn. She is highly regarded among conservative Republicans and would have an advantage from that standpoint.”

And if it turns out to be a race between those two, it could be another conservative-versus-establishment primary.

“She will pick up so much of what we call the Judge Moore following, whereas the governor, I think, naturally would become the establishment candidate,” the professor suggests. “And (Mitch) McConnell is going to be looking for who is going to side with him. So we might have a race that is somewhat like the Moore-Strange race.”

Of course it is still very early, and other candidates might emerge as serious contenders for that GOP nomination.