State Rep. Will Dismukes is withdrawing from the race for Congress in Alabama’s 2nd District.
In a statement released Wednesday, Dismukes said he could not raise the funds necessary to compete and did not want the race to be a distraction from his family and work responsibilities.
“Unfortunately, I was not able to raise the funds necessary to make this a viable effort. I have commitments to my family, my business, my community, my church, and House District 88 that proved too much to fulfill by staying in the congressional race. Gathering the resources necessary to win meant sacrificing each of those to an extent that I did not expect when I got in the race,” Dismukes said.
“Even though the election result won’t end up how I wanted it to when I got in, I don’t regret running. Whoever the Republican nominee in this race is will have my full support, and I’ll be working hard to get President Trump re-elected.”
In last quarter’s campaign finance reports, Dismukes reported the least amount of money raised at $14,693. He also spent $7,033, and ended with $7,659 cash on hand. Leading the pack was Dothan businessman Jeff Coleman, who raised $468,001 and loaned his campaign $500,000. He ended the quarter with almost $1 million cash on hand.
Beyond fundraising, another factor that could have influenced Dismukes was the upstart candidacy of Jessica Taylor. The fellow Prattvillian had an impressive campaign announcement earlier this month that saw a video go viral in conservative circles, earning her national media coverage, including on Fox News Channel.
Upon the news of Dismukes’ withdrawal, Taylor released a statement thanking him for running and reaching out to his supporters.
“I understand this had to be a difficult decision for Will and his team, but I want them to know I’m going to work harder than anyone else in this race to earn the votes of his supporters because we share the same conservative values,” Taylor said.
Other GOP candidates remaining in the race include former Attorney General Troy King and former state Rep. Barry Moore of Enterprise.