Number of Write-In Votes for Nick Saban in Alabama Senate Race Revealed

The rumors are true. University of Alabama head football coach Nick Saban pulled some write-in votes in the recent Senate race there that saw Democrat Doug Jones defeat controversial Republican Roy Moore in the once solidly red state.

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But just how many people wrote the name of their legendary football coach on the ballot?

According to Sporting News, Saban received the 7th most write-in votes, totaling 264.

Alabamians cast a total of 22,819 write-in votes during the narrow race between Democrat Doug Jones and Republican Roy Moore, according to the Secretary of State’s office.

Jones won by 20,715 votes. Saban received 264.

Luther Strange, the Republican who assumed the seat following Jess Sessions’ move to Attorney General and who enjoyed the backing of establishment GOP such as Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, actually received the most write-in votes with 5,822.

Interestingly, despite their candidate’s eventual win, the progressive Democrat group American Bridge 21st Century, spent time and money encouraging voters in Alabama to write in Saban’s name. American Bridge is associated with David Brock and the liberal opposition research firm Media Matters, and has deep funding ties to liberal billionaire George Soros.

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Perhaps the most shocking element of Saban’s short, un-asked-for time as a state senate candidate is that Alabama voters only gave him a very small percentage of the write-in vote. More voters apparently desired Strange over Moore than desired Saban over Jones.

That the Steve Bannon-backed Moore defeated Strange — who voters apparently actually liked — in the primary, coupled with the win of Jones over Moore, looks daily like a bigger blow to the alt-right leaning arm of the GOP.

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