Retired Marine enters Senate race in Alabama

WASHINGTON—Lee Busby, a retired Marine colonel, plans to launch a write-in campaign to become Alabama’s next U.S. senator. An Alabama native, Busby spent 31 years in the Marine Corps and served as a top aide to then-Gen. John Kelly, who is now President Donald Trump’s chief of staff. He told The Washington Post he thinks Republican Roy Moore and Democrat Doug Jones are both unfit for office, adding that he does not know if the sexual misconduct accusations that have plagued Moore are true, but it doesn’t matter: “It has created enough distaste in my mind. As a voter, I don’t need to get to the bottom of it.” As for Jones, Busby said his liberal views on abortion don’t represent Alabama values. The long-shot candidate, who said he voted for Trump in the presidential election last year, is pro-life and supports repealing Obamacare and lowering taxes. So far, Busby has no formal campaign structure or major endorsements but plans to use social media to gain support. His campaign ran under the radar until the Post and other national media outlets published reports on him Monday. The special election in Alabama to fill the U.S. Senate seat once held by Attorney General Jeff Sessions is Dec. 12, giving Busby a little more than two weeks to campaign. Trump hinted last week he might travel to Alabama on Moore’s behalf, but the Associated Press reported Monday that a White House official said the president, who supported Moore’s opponent in the Republican primary, would not campaign for the embattled GOP candidate.