Booker, Patrick rally black Alabamians for Jones

Alabama Democratic senatorial nominee Doug Jones takes a group picture with Sen. Cory Booker (D-N.J.) and Alabama Democratic U.S. Rep. Terri Sewell (3rd from Right) and supporters during a campaign event held at Alabama State University on Dec. 9. | Joe Raedle/Getty Images

By GABRIEL DEBENEDETTI 12/09/2017 07:44 PM EST
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SELMA, Ala. — Democrat Doug Jones needs African-American voters to turn out in big numbers for him to have a shot at beating Roy Moore in Tuesday's Alabama Senate election.

So the former U.S. attorney brought in two of his most prominent surrogates on Saturday to help: New Jersey Sen. Cory Booker and former Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick.

Their message, amid fears of lagging enthusiasm among black voters and polls showing a neck-and-neck race between Jones and Moore, was that there is no simply excuse for not voting in this election.

“I know you all made, already, a million phone calls, but I’m here to try to get some folk woke,” said Booker, addressing a crowd of roughly 200 at Alabama State University in Montgomery, three hours after Patrick appeared with Jones in Selma. “Some people don’t understand: the opposite of justice is not injustice. It is inaction and indifference.”

“Bad people get elected when good people don’t vote,” Booker added.

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https://www.politico.com/story/2017/12/09/doug-jones-alabama-cory-booker-deval-patrick-288638