The field has not formed quite yet, but the Washington, D.C.-based “Senate Conservatives Fund” (SCF) has already picked its horse in Alabama’s 2022 U.S. Senate race.
SCF on Wednesday morning endorsed Congressman Mo Brooks (AL-05) for the seat currently held by U.S. Senator Richard Shelby (R-AL), who is retiring at the end of this term.
Mary Vought, executive director of SCF, said in a written statement, “Mo Brooks has a proven conservative record, he’s a member of the House Freedom Caucus, and he’s someone Americans can count on to stand up to the establishment in both parties.”
SCF was founded in 2008 by then-Sen. Jim DeMint (R-SC). The PAC has raised millions each election cycle since, helping elect candidates including Sens. Mike Lee (R-UT) and Marco Rubio (R-FL) in 2010, Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) and former Sen. Jeff Flake (R-AZ) in 2012 and Sen. Ben Sasse (R-NE) in 2014.
DeMint in 2012 left SCF, which was then run by former Virginia Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli until he was nominated by the president to be the director of ICE during the Trump administration.
Cuccinelli and Lee were “Never Trumpers” who led the unsuccessful “Free the Delegates” campaign at the 2016 Republican National Convention in a last-minute attempt to prevent Donald Trump from becoming the party’s nominee.
Alabamians may remember that SCF backed State Rep. Arnold Mooney (R-Indian Springs) in the state’s 2020 U.S. Senate race.
The endorsement of Brooks comes the week after former President Trump endorsed him.
Vought concluded, “President Trump endorsed Mo Brooks and said this about why conservatives should support him: ‘Few Republicans have as much COURAGE and FIGHT as Alabama Congressman Mo Brooks. Mo is a great Conservative Republican leader who will stand up for America First no matter what obstacles the Fake News Media, RINOs, or Socialist Democrats may place in his path.’ We agree!”
Brooks released a statement in reaction to the SCF endorsement.
“I am honored and humbled to receive the endorsement of the preeminent Senate Conservative Fund,” he remarked. “The Senate Conservative Fund’s endorsement is HUGE! An SCF endorsement emphasizes that Mo Brooks is THE proven, reliable, principled conservative candidate in Alabama’s Senate race. The SCF endorsement means the SCF’s national conservative fundraising base will be mobilized to help the Mo Brooks for Senate campaign. The SCF can raise hundreds of thousands if not millions of dollars to help principled conservative candidates serve in the U.S. Senate. The impact of an SCF endorsement cannot be overstated, not only for what the SCF does but also because of what an SCF endorsement encourages others to do.”
Brooks this past weekend was also endorsed by Congressman Barry Moore (AL-02).
Former U.S. Ambassador to Slovenia Lynda Blanchard is the only other announced candidate in the nascent Senate race.
Sean Ross is the editor of Yellowhammer News. You can follow him on Twitter @sean_yhn
