Exit polls show Black voters saved the day in Alabama senate race

African-Americans in Alabama came out in historic numbers

Dec 13, 2017

Preliminary results show that Doug Jones pulled off his historic election to the United States Senate from Alabama thanks in large part to Black voters.

According to CNN, Black voters showed up for Jones in greater numbers than ever before, making up 30 percent of the electorate. For comparison, that’s higher than the numbers for the 2008 and 2012 elections of Barack Obama.

Ninety-six percent of Black voters backed Jones, while Moore saw decreased turnout in more conservative voting blocs and areas.

In comparison, Moore won 68 percent of white voters, including 80 percent of non-college-educated white men. The lowest percentage of white support was 52 percent of college-educated white women.

–A leter to Black Alabama voters–

That’s still a better margin than most elections in Alabama, where white voters can be counted on to support Republican candidates in more overwhelming numbers, but it doesn’t change the fact that over half of all white people in every demographic voted for an accused child molester who thinks America was great during the era of slavery.

But there is one area that Jones swept: mothers with children at home. This group supported Jones over Moore 66 percent to 32 percent.

Additionally, young people supported Jones over Moore, with both the 18-29 and 30-44 age brackets pulling in for Jones at 60 percent.

Jones built a coalition of young and minority voters in a state that has been traditionally red for decades. But make no mistake: it was Black voters that made the difference, especially in urban centers of Birmingham, Montgomery and Mobile.

And now, going toward 2018, Democrats are hoping to keep that momentum going.