ENTERPRISE, Ala. – The National Federation of Independent Business has endorsed Republican State Rep. Rhett Marques in the race for Alabama’s 2nd Congressional District.
NFIB State Director Rosemary Elebash announced the endorsement at a press conference Thursday morning in front of the tire and auto shop Marques previously owned in Enterprise.
Marques, a former NFIB member, also serves as the vice chair of the House Commerce and Small Business Committee. He said that owning a small business helped him achieve his American dream.
“Representative Marcus has represented not only his district in Enterprise, but all across the state, he was a voice for small business owners…” Elebash said. “We’re looking forward to him serving in Congress because we know he’s going to still carry the same mission that he has in the state Legislature: to represent small business owners every day and to help them to be able to grow their business and grow Alabama’s economy.”
The bellwether 2nd District race between Marques and Democratic incumbent Shomari Figures of Mobile will be a test of Alabama’s redistricting efforts. State lawmakers moved to revert to the state’s 2023 GOP-friendly congressional map after the U.S. Supreme Court’s landmark decision in Louisiana v. Callais.
Though many state lawmakers thought the new district would easily flip red again, both national parties have marked the race as competitive, pouring in millions from campaign committees.
After several Democratic polls have shown the contest to be close, the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee on Thursday afternoon pointed to a new race rating from Larry Sabato’s Crystal Ball that shifted the district from “likely Republican” to “leans Republican.”
The Crystal Ball noted that “Black turnout could be relatively strong across the South, partially in response to the Supreme Court’s Callais decision.”
“Multiple public polls make it clear: Shomari Figures can win this race,” DCCC Spokesperson Eli Cousin said.
The redrawn district stretches from the Wiregrass to Montgomery and Lowndes County but keeps many of Figures’ current constituents in the 2nd District. It is about 40% Black, while the current district is nearly 49% Black.
Marques took the opportunity on Thursday to attack Figures over the fact that he does not live within the new lines
“I think that’s something that many Alabamians need to know when they’re going to the ballot boxes,” Marques said. “Who is going to represent you – the person who raised a family, owned a business, and still lives here, or someone who lives in Maryland and Mobile? And that’s just as simple as that.”
Marques also brought up Figures’ previous employment with the Obama and Biden administrations, which he said “put more regulations and made it more difficult for small businesses.”
“That is something that I have worked at the state level, and I will work in D.C. to cut the regulations for small businesses and make sure it’s easier to live out the American dream like I live,” Marques said. “I think that’s a very important thing because those hardworking Alabamians need to make sure that the small businesses that they rely on are able to function like they want to.”
Marques mentioned several times that he supported $1.5 billion worth of tax cuts in Alabama during his time in the Legislature. He likened his approach of cutting taxes and slashing regulations to “common sense” and Figures’ and Democrats’ actions as “craziness,” announcing the launch of a website titled “Craziness v. Common Sense” contrasting his voting record with Figures’.
Playing on a common GOP refrain during the midterm season, Marques also urged all voters to turn out to the polls to stop the “radical left” and “communists.”
“That’s why it’s so important for all of us to go out and vote because if you don’t go vote, or you vote for him, you’re voting to not only change the way this country is run, but it is going to take away the rights,” Marques said. “Those communist, socialists, whatever you want to call them, they want to govern every part of your life, every part. Whether it’s your house, whether it’s your small business, they want to be in charge of it. I believe in capitalism, I believe in the free market, and I believe in the rights of our people.”
The general election is Nov. 3. The deadline to register to vote is Oct. 19.