Moore falls 12 points behind Jones in new poll

GOP Alabama Senate nominee Roy Moore now trails his Democratic opponent Doug Jones by 12 points (51 to 39 percent) in the latest National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC) poll, per Politico. The Real Clear Politics average shows Moore with a 3-point lead, though the scandal surrounding him is clearly having an impact.

Meanwhile Larry Sabato, founder of the University of Virginia's Center for Politics, said his team now projects that Alabama "Leans Democrat" ahead of the Dec. 12 special election. "We can't believe we're doing this..." he wrote on Twitter. "The GOP may find a way out of this mess, but the party — thanks to Roy Moore — is on the verge of blowing what was once a sure thing."