Nine Republicans will appear on the U.S. Senate primary ballot on Aug. 15, but none have the statewide name recognition of Judge Roy Moore.

When this was pointed out to Moore recently, he agreed with the assessment, but explained it could be a double-edged sword.

“I think name recognition is great, but it doesn’t always mean it’s favorable,” he said on July 18, prior to a Limestone County Republican Party meeting where he and other candidates spoke. “People know what I stand for and they may disagree with what I stand for, but they know I’ll stand for what I say I’ll stand for, so that’s favorable.”

Moore, 70, is the twice-ousted chief justice of the Alabama Supreme Court. In both instances he put his religious convictions ahead of his career. He was removed in 2003 after defying a federal judge’s order to remove a Ten Commandments monument from the rotunda of the Alabama Capitol building.

He was elected to the position again in 2012 but was permanently suspended in 2016 after encouraging the state’s probate judges to deny marriage licenses to gay couples. Moore’s feelings on traditional marriage was contrary to the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision.

“I was open about being against same-sex marriage,” Moore said.

Reason for running

Moore decided to run after witnessing the election of Donald Trump in November. He said it signaled a new change and an opportunity to return to a form of government based on what the constitution says.

“Trump was an outsider, and I’m an outsider. I’m not a typical politician who’s going up there to stay for 30 years,” he said. “What I know about the Constitution and the military will be a great asset to Trump and others up there. The people need to know the truth about the Constitution and what the judicial branch is doing to it.”

What voters can expect

Moore said he’s not the type of politician who will spout promises about what he will and won’t do for his constituents. He welcomed voters to look at his record and where he stands on issues that are important to them.

“I’ve stood against the tyranny of the federal courts and stood up for the Constitution of the United States. I can back up everything I’ve done with the Constitution,” he said. “I acknowledged God in the display of the Ten Commandments, which is not prohibited by the Constitution. It’s certainly allowable because we’re established under God. ‘One nation under God’ and ‘In God We Trust.’ Every fact of our history demonstrates that.”

Term limits

He believes in term limits and doesn’t believe anyone should spend 20 to 30 years as a member of Congress. Moore said it “didn’t use to be that way” but added salaries and benefits have made it difficult for some lawmakers to walk away.

“Congressmen are there to pass laws and should live under the laws they pass and should not be exempt by those laws,” Moore said.

Health care

When asked about federal health care and the debate in Washington, Moore said he would be one of those who voted to repeal the Affordable Care Act. He explained the federal government “doesn’t have any business” offering health care to Americans.

“The government can’t even run the (U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs) hospitals,” he said. “Ask any veteran and they’ll tell you they’re more likely to do in a VA hospital than on a battlefield.”

Moore said the health care system needs to be opened up to free enterprise, but it’s being restricted by the McCarran-Ferguson Act. The act provides a limited antitrust exemption allowing insurers to pool historic loss information so they are better able to project future losses and charge an actuarially based price for their products.

“There’s no access to outside insurance because it’s controlled by the states,” Moore said. “It’s true in Alabama, and it’s true in other states.”

When asked if he was in favor of immediately cutting off insurance to tens of millions of Americans, Moore conceded he might be in favor of allowing ACA recipients time to purchase insurance outside the state.

“We need to repeal Obamacare, then we can address the other issues,” he said.

Final pitch

When asked why he is the best candidate for the position, Moore simply said he’s a man of his word.

“The people know I will stand and do what I said I would do,” he said. “I’ve suffered for it and I will uphold the rights and liberties of the state of Alabama.”