Will Democrat Douglas Jones Vote With Senate Republicans On Trump Impeachment?

After the holidays, the members of Congress will soon be returning to the Hill where they’ll be facing the next phase of President Donald Trump’s impeachment: the Senate trial. While most expect Senate Republicans to uniformly vote to acquit the president, Democrats worry that some within their own camp may end up voting against conviction.

While this was a concern among Democrats in the House, ultimately all members of the party, except Rep. Tulsi Gabbard (D-Hawaii), voted in favor of impeachment. Although these worries proved unwarranted – that some Democrats from embattled districts would opt to vote against impeachment – it doesn’t mean it won’t be a problem in the Senate.

Among the top of those considered most likely to consider a vote against conviction is Sen. Douglas Jones (D-Ala.). Not only has Jones not yet said that he’s convinced that Trump should be convicted, his seat in the Senate is considered one of the most vulnerable next fall. Both factors indicate the freshman senator could be considering making a politically pragmatic decision to vote alongside Republicans.

As a Democrat, Jones’ win during a special election two years ago over Roy Moore in Alabama was seen as a significant victory in a traditionally Republican state. That seat wasn’t won by a landslide, however, as Jones came out on top by only 2 percent over Moore. In 2020, Jones will be facing one of several possible big names in the Republican Party, including Jeff Sessions, the former U.S. attorney general and senator.

While it might seem smart for Jones to vote to acquit Trump, Alabama voters’ views on impeachment seem to indicate otherwise.

NBC News recently spoke with more than 20 people in Alabama and the general attitudes were consistent: Republicans are not inclined to back Jones regardless of how he votes on impeachment, whereas Democrats who supported Jones before would be less likely to do so again if he votes to acquit Trump.

In other words, Jones – and other Senate Democrats facing difficult reelections next year – are not necessarily going to have a large incentive to vote with the Republicans. Whether they realize this, however, remains to be seen.