MONTGOMERY – The fate of a political endorsement for Demopolis City Councilman Thomas Moore will hinge on the vote of at most 100 Democrats.

The executive committee of the Alabama Democratic Conference is expected to “revisit” that organization’s endorsement of Moore’s bid for the State Senate.

“It’s a private matter before the executive committee,” said Conference field director Jerome Gray.

The ADC is the state’s largest grassroots political organization with units in every county in the state, and thousands of individual members. Since its founding in 1960, its mission has been to organize and unify the black vote. In 1970, the organization began formally screening and endorsing candidates for public office.

“The delegates I spoke to indicated that I was the overwhelming choice in the Senate race,” Moore said. “I’m going to take the organization at its word in its formal proceedings that I’m it’s candidate.”

Gray said the review wasn’t anything the ADC’s executive committee hasn’t done before.

“Ordinarily, if not it had not been a special election, it would have been a decision by the delegate convention,” he said. “Since it came at a time when the delegate convention was not meeting, then it’s the executive committee that makes the decision. The screening committee’s recommendation is not a final decision.”

Moore, who also garnered the endorsement of the New South Coalition, the state’s other major black political action committee, wasn’t daunted by the issue.

“I think the endorsement of both predominantly

black organizations speaks volumes for my support in the black community; I’ve represented everybody well, especially the black community since I’ve been in office. I’m mighty grateful for their endorsement,” he said.

Moore faces Hale County State Rep. Bobby Singleton in the Dec. 14 runoff, prompted by Charles Steele’s resignation from the Senate to assume a vice-presidents role at the Southern Christian Leadership Conference. The Tuscaloosa native was elected Thursday as the SCLC’s interim president.

Singleton was endorsed by both Hale County units of the New South Coalition and ADC, but the state organizations gave their support to Moore.

Singleton could not be reached for comment for this story.

The winner of the Dec. 14 runoff will face Republican James Carter in the special election in Jan. 25.

“I appeal to a cross-section of black folk in the district because I listen to black needs. The appeal is that I have the strong endorsement of the black community through the two predominantly black organizations,” Moore said.