U.S. Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, took a tougher stand against Roy Moore on Monday, calling for him to step aside in his bid to be the next U.S. senator from Alabama because of alleged sexual contact with a 14-year-old girl decades ago, when he was in his early 30s.

“I have now read Mr. Moore’s statement and listened to his radio interview in which he denies the charges. I did not find his denials to be convincing and believe that he should withdraw from the Senate race in Alabama,” Collins said in a tweet.

Collins’ latest statement places her alongside a growing chorus of Republicans who are demanding that Moore withdraw from the race, including Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell.

The Maine Republican had issued a more measured response last week, saying in a tweet that “If there is any truth at all to these horrific allegations, Roy Moore should immediately step aside as a Senate candidate.”

On Monday, Collins made it clear she believes Moore needs to abandon the race, which will be decided by Alabama voters in a Dec. 12 special election. Moore is a judge who was removed from the state supreme court on two occasions – first for refusing to remove a Ten Commandments monument that he installed on court property and again for refusing to accept gay marriage. He faces Democrat David Jones.

The two are vying for the Senate seat left vacant by Jeff Sessions, who resigned to become the U.S. Attorney General under President Trump.

Collins issued her statement not long after McConnell, of Kentucky, also called on Moore to withdraw from the race.

“I think he should step aside,” McConnell said to a reporter in Louisville, Kentucky on Monday. McConnell was in Kentucky touting a tax reform bill currently before the Senate. “I believe the women, yes,” McConnell said.

Last week the Washington Post reported that four women have stepped forward to level charges that Moore, a firebrand conservative who won a Republican primary to become the party’s nominee for the seat, had pursued them when they were still teenagers and Moore, now 70, was in his 30s.

Another woman came forward Monday afternoon to accuse Moore of sexually assaulting her when she was 15 and 16.

Moore has denied any inappropriate behavior and threatened to sue the Post.

Scott Thistle can be contacted at 713-6720 or at:

sthistle@pressherald.com

Twitter: thisdog

U.S. Sen. Susan Collins speaks at a forum on tax reform at Volk Packaging, Friday, Nov. 10, 2017, in Biddeford. (AP file photo)

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