During an interview on Huntsville radio’s WVNN on Thursday, Rep. Mo Brooks (R-Huntsville) cautioned against downplaying Sen. Doug Jones’ (D-Mountain Brook) chances of pulling off a repeat win in Alabama’s 2020 U.S. Senate contest.

Brooks was named as one of several possible candidates to seek the Republican Party’s nomination in recent months. However, last week he downplayed the possibility. Thus far, only former Auburn head football coach Tommy Tuberville and Rep. Bradley Byrne (R-Fairhope) have made formal announcements.

Brooks told Dale Jackson that given the right circumstances Jones could win again. However, he acknowledged Jones as the underdog.

“I don’t believe Doug Jones is done or toast,” Brooks said. “He has a shot at winning. Now he’s an underdog, but there’s a lot that’s going to occur between now and about 18 months from now. A lot depends on whether we nominate somebody that the Alabama public can rally behind. And there’s a risk that we won’t. The probability is that we’re going to nominate a very fine candidate. You have varying degrees of candidacy. The key is to make sure someone is thoroughly vetted before they represent our party on a national ballot for the United States Senate. I say national because the whole United States of America is going to be looking at [this race].”

“And if there’s anything at all about that person that can be attacked, they’re going to exploit it, and that’s how Doug Jones won just a scant year-and-a-half ago,” Brooks added. “No one would have thought two years ago that Doug Jones had a prayer. But he won.”

Brooks said Jones was still viewed as a star by his Democratic congressional colleagues.

“He is a symbol of how you can win anywhere in the United States of America if you play dirty politics the right way,” Jones said.

@Jeff_Poor is a graduate of Auburn University, the editor of Breitbart TV and host of “The Jeff Poor Show” from 2-5 p.m. on WVNN in Huntsville.