If the Republican candidate for Senate wins an Alabama special election today, it won't just affect his home state: It could impact thousands of people in Fairfield County.

The candidate, Roy Moore, faces multiple accusations of sexual misconduct with teenagers. And experts say almost 20 percent of Fairfield residents have reported being sexually assaulted at some time in their lives. That's 1 in 5 county residents, and experts say victims are looking at the Alabama Senate race closely to see whether the country supports sex abuse survivors or not.

Executives at Stamford's Center for Sexual Assault Crisis Counseling, which has board members from both major parties, say the Moore situation is just one of many new allegations of sexual abuse that has helped to fuel a major uptick in sexual assault awareness over the last several months.

The center says more and more people are now coming in looking for support and counseling, and that they've had to hire more staff just to keep up with the demand.

While Moore has denied the allegations, experts still worry that many victims will see his possible victory as a big defeat for sexual abuse survivors.

"For me, it's difficult, having a 2- and 4-year-old, that anyone would choose politics over a pedophile," says Quentin Ball, a victim advocate. "I find it profoundly disappointing that there are so many supporters, that the Republican party supports Roy Moore, that people in Alabama support him and that people nationally support the guy."

Alabama is a heavily Republican state, and despite the scandal surrounding Moore, Democratic Doug Jones faces an uphill battle in his bid for the Senate seat.