The Senate race in Alabama is in a dead heat, just days after allegations surfaced that the Republican running sexually abused a child nearly 40 years ago, according to a new poll.
Roy Moore, a former Alabama Supreme Court justice, has seen a dip in the polls after the allegations surfaced, leaving him tied with Democrat Doug Jones. If Mr Jones manages to win the race, it would be the first time in two decades that a Democratic senator would represent Alabama in Washington.
The new poll, conducted by Opinion Savvy and Decision Desk, projects both with 46 per cent of the vote, and just over 80 per cent of voters saying they are aware of the allegations against Mr Moore. An average of polls taken before the allegations surfaced, and compiled by Real Clear Politics, gave Mr Moore a six-point lead in the race. That average does not include the new polling.
The allegations of child abuse were first reported on by the Washington Post, and included claims from four women backed up by at least 30 sources who corroborated the accounts in some form. One woman said that she met Mr Moore nearly 40 years ago at a courthouse when he was a county district attorney, and that she gave him her phone number at that time.
Mr Moore allegedly picked up the then 14-year-old days after meeting her, and took her to his home in the woods. He then, according to claims from the woman, kissed her and told her she was beautiful. In a later encounter, he allegedly took off his and her clothes, and proceeded to grope her and guide her hand to the outside of his underwear.
Mr Moore has denied the allegations, and has described the reports as a political attempt to undermine his candidacy.
