亨茨维尔。阿拉。周一，共和党参议员候选人在共和党提名的激烈竞争中，为即将退休的参议员理查·谢尔比空出的席位向初选选民进行了最后一刻的游说。
美国众议员莫·布鲁克斯和得克萨斯州参议员特德·克鲁兹一起出现在亨茨维尔的集会上，试图击败前总统唐纳德·特朗普他严厉的批评和撤销最初支持的决定。前谢尔比助手凯蒂·布里特(Katie Britt)和退伍军人迈克·杜兰特(Mike Durant)也在北阿拉巴马州的共和党据点集中努力，试图动摇尚未决定的初选选民，并在这场昂贵而激烈的竞选中打击一系列负面攻击广告。杜兰特是一名商人，最出名的是在索马里的“黑鹰坠落”战斗中被俘的直升机飞行员。外部团体已经在竞选中投入了2000多万美元，要么支持要么反对其中一名领先者。
破裂的场地增加了初选进入6月21日决选的机会，除非一名候选人获得超过50%的选票，否则必须进行决选。
特朗普今年春天扰乱了竞选，当时他退出了布鲁克斯，布鲁克斯曾被视为竞选中早期的热门人选。特朗普最初支持布鲁克斯-他一直是2020年大选被盗的虚假说法的主要支持者-但特朗普在3月份撤销了这一支持，理由是布鲁克斯的表现越来越差，并指责这位国会议员“醒来”，因为他说是时候从2020年的总统选举结果中走出来，专注于即将举行的选举。
布鲁克斯试图证明他仍然可以赢。
布鲁克斯，来自北阿拉巴马州的六届国会议员，依靠他与阿拉巴马州选民的长期关系。“有了莫·布鲁克斯，如果你想要一个保守派就没有风险，我是竞选中唯一的保守派，”布鲁克斯说。
克鲁兹说，这场竞选将决定这个倾向于红色的州将把什么样的共和党人送入美国参议院。
“这场竞选将决定我们是否有一位公认的保守党人，他将坚持、战斗并领导。如果你看看华盛顿正在发生的疯狂行为，我们需要勇士，”克鲁兹说。
没有政治经验的杜兰特以退伍军人和企业主的身份参选，在伯明翰郊区霍姆伍德的一家烧烤店停留时，从支持者阿什莉·库姆斯那里收到了一面折叠的美国国旗。库姆斯是一名前军用卡车司机兼翻译，她说杜兰特的故事激励了一些和她一起服役的人参军。
“我是那个非职业政治家。我是一个有战斗经验的老兵，企业主的经验。我有正当的理由。我是来服务的，”杜兰特说。“我不在其中，因为我一生都渴望这样。事实上，我不喜欢政治。但华盛顿需要像我这样的人。”
杜兰特面临着负面广告的冲击，他说这些广告扭曲了他对枪支权利和其他问题的看法。他说，他要求选民看穿花在“谎言攻击广告”上的数百万美元。
杜兰特说:“我将要求阿拉巴马州的人民看穿这一点，出来为我投票。”
在领导阿拉巴马州商业委员会之前，布里特曾担任谢尔比的参谋长，谢尔比是参议院最资深的成员之一，也是一名传统的共和党人，以能够将联邦项目和资金带回家乡而闻名。布里特说，虽然她的经历会让她“立即进入角色”，但她会给华盛顿带来新的视角。
“毫无疑问，阿拉巴马州已经准备好接受新鲜血液，”布里特告诉聚集在阿拉巴马州卡尔曼的支持者。
在从边境安全到能源政策的巡回演讲中，布里特说:“我们需要美国第一议程重新付诸行动。”布里特和杜兰特都要求特朗普的支持，但他迄今为止没有参加竞选。
“我相信这个国家，我相信这个州。我想让你们知道的是，我不仅要为我们的基督教保守价值观而战。我将为阿拉巴马州的人民而战，”布里特说。
佛罗伦萨的莉莉艾·博迪，莫比尔的小企业主卡拉·m·杜普里斯特和杰克·斯查费也在共和党的候选人名单上。威尔·博伊德牧师、前布莱顿市长布兰登·迪恩和退伍军人兰尼·杰克逊正在争夺民主党提名。
Tough GOP race for Shelby seat in Alabama closes with flurry
HUNTSVILLE. Ala. -- Republican Senate hopefuls made last-minute pitches to primary voters Monday in the tight race for the GOP nomination for the seat being vacated by retiring Sen. Richard Shelby.
U.S. Rep. Mo Brooks, appeared at a Huntsville rally with Texas Sen. Ted Cruz as he seeks to overcome former PresidentDonald Trump‘s harsh criticisms and decision to rescind his initial endorsement. Former Shelby aide Katie Britt and veteran Mike Durant, a businessman best known as the helicopter pilot held captive in the “Black Hawk Down” battle in Somalia — also concentrated their efforts in Republican strongholds in north Alabama, attempting to sway undecided primary voters and combat a flurry of negative attack ads in the expensive and hotly contested race. Outside groups have pumped more than $20 million into the race to either support or oppose one of the frontrunners.
The fractured field increases the chances the primary will go to a June 21 runoff, which will be required unless a single candidate captures more than 50% of the vote.
Trump scrambled the race this spring when he backed away from Brooks who had been seen as an early favorite in the race. Trump had initially endorsed Brooks — who had been a key champion of the false claims that the 2020 election was stolen — but Trump rescinded that endorsement in March, citing Brooks’ languishing performance and accused the congressman of going “woke” for saying it was time to move on from the 2020 presidential outcome and focus on upcoming elections.
Brooks is trying to prove he can still win anyway.
Brooks, a six-term congressman from north Alabama, is banking on his long history with Alabama voters. “With Mo Brooks, there is no risk if you want a conservative, I’m the only conservative in the race,” Brooks said.
Cruz said the race will decide what kind of Republican the red-leaning state will send to the U.S. Senate.
“This race is going to determine whether or not we have a proven conservative who will stand and fight and lead. And if you look at the insanity that is going on in Washington, we need warriors,” Cruz said.
Durant, running on his status as a military veteran and business owner without political experience, received a folded U.S. flag from supporter Ashlie Combs during a stop at a barbecue restaurant in the Birmingham suburb of Homewood. Combs, a former military truck driver and interpreter, said Durant's story inspired some of the men she served with to join the military.
“I’m the the non-career politician. I’m the one who has combat veteran experience, business owner experience. I’m in it the for the right reason. I’m in it to serve,” Durant said. “I’m not in it because I’ve aspired to be this my whole life. In fact, I don’t like politics. But we need people like me in Washington.”
Durant has faced an onslaught of negative ads that he said distorted his views on gun rights and other matters. He said he is asking voters to see through millions of dollars spent in “lying attacks ads.”
“I'm going to ask the people of Alabama to see through that and come out and vote for me,” Durant said.
Before leading the Business Council of Alabama, Britt served as chief of staff to Shelby, one the Senate’s most senior members and a traditional Republican known for his ability to bring home federal projects and funding to his home state. Britt said while her experience would allow her to “hit the ground running” she would bring a fresh perspective to Washington.
“There is no doubt that Alabama is ready for new blood,” Britt told supporters gathered in Cullman, Alabama.
In a stump speech ranging from border security to energy policy, Britt said, “we need the America First agenda back in action." Both Britt and Durant have asked for Trump’s endorsement, but he has so far stayed out of the race.
“I believe in this nation, and I believe in this state. And what I want you to know is I am not only going to go fight for our Christian conservative values. I am going to fight for the people of Alabama,” Britt said.
Lillie Boddie of Florence, small business owner Karla M. Dupriest of Mobile and Jake Schafer also are on the GOP ballot. The Rev. Will Boyd, former Brighton mayor Brandaun Dean and retired Army veteran Lanny Jackson are vying for the Democratic nomination.
