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Kerr celebrates Doug Jones' victory: 'Decency needs to win out'

Matthew Stockman / Getty Images Sport / Getty

Steve Kerr was quick to Tweet his exultation Tuesday night after Democratic candidate Doug Jones beat out Republican candidate and accused child molester Roy Moore in the Alabama Senate special election. Kerr's joy and relief carried over to Wednesday, when the Golden State Warriors coach discussed the election result with his team during their film session, and later with reporters.

"Decency needs to win out," Kerr said, according to Melissa Rohlin of The Mercury News. "This has nothing to do with party affiliation, it has to do with we need high-character people in our positions of leadership. The more decisions like this we can make where we choose character over party, when we choose country over party, the better off we'll be. I'm very pleased. It's a good sign because as a country we need to get away from partisan divide and start focusing on quality and good people in positions of leadership, and iron out our differences, and promote unity, and not try to separate our country."

Moore - a former Chief Justice of the Alabama Supreme Court, who was twice removed from the bench for ethics violations - was endorsed by President Donald Trump and the Republican National Committee, but that did not help him salvage a Senate seat that had been carried by Republican Jeff Sessions for 20 years. Instead, the long-red state elected Jones, a former U.S. Attorney who successfully prosecuted two Ku Klux Klan members in the early 2000s.

"I think today is a really important day," said Kerr. "Again, it's all about high-character, and values, and the way you treat people. I don't care Democrat, Republican, Independent. If we put a known pedophile in the Senate, what would that have said about us? Let's get to the point where this is all about us and not them. Just leadership, character and morality. Let's be better. This is a good step."

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