MONTGOMERY, Ala. — Republican Congressional candidate Caroleene Dobson is debuting a new television ad on Friday featuring the endorsement of Gov. Kay Ivey. She scored two other key endorsements from small business leaders and the Alabama Minority GOP earlier this week.
In the ad, Ivey can be seen sitting at her desk writing a letter to Dobson, her voice narrating as the ad cuts to Dobson’s daughter pulling the letter from a mailbox.
“Caroleene, running for office takes courage,” Ivey says. “You’re standing tall for the issues that matter most to families and fighting to make their lives better. I know you’ll work in Congress to bring better days ahead for all Alabamians. I’ll be so very proud to vote for you.”
Dobson’s campaign told Alabama Daily News the ad will run for two weeks in the Montgomery and Mobile markets and the buy was in the mid-six-figure range.
Dobson is running to represent Alabama’s 2nd Congressional District, and will face off against Democratic candidate Shomari Figures in November in what has become among the most competitive congressional races in the country.
The district was redrawn last year by order of a federal court to increase its Black population, making the long standing Republican stronghold now favor a Democratic candidate, though political experts say the district remains competitive.
In a statement, Dobson said that she received the letter from Ivey supporting her campaign several weeks ago, and that it was unsolicited and came as a surprise.
“Gov. Ivey is a strong woman of faith and a dedicated leader who works every day to create opportunities for Alabama’s citizens and families, so her support is welcomed and deeply appreciated,” Dobson said. “The handwritten note she sent was a surprise when it arrived in the mail, and its heartfelt words are both inspiring and motivational.”
The new ad comes just two days after Dobson scored the two aforementioned endorsements from the National Federation of Independent Business and the Alabama Minority GOP, both of which were announced at separate press conferences.
The enforcement from the NFIB, which was announced Wednesday morning at a campaign event in Mobile, saw business leaders praise Dobson’s campaign pledge to reduce government regulation for small businesses.
Dobson has routinely pledged to cut regulation for small businesses on the campaign trail, and has vowed to restore a component of a 2020 executive order by then-President Donald Trump known as the Regulatory Bill of Rights.
This provision shifted the burden of proof onto the federal government in cases of businesses alleged to have violated the law, a provision that was championed by pro-business organizations, though later repealed under President Joe Biden’s administration.
“We are confident that Caroleene Dobson will prove to be a strong voice for our state’s small businesses and will support pro-growth policies to put the small business economy on a path towards prosperity,” said Rosemary Elebash, NFIB Alabama State Director, in a statement.
The Alabama Minority GOP – an auxiliary organization within the Alabama Republican Party – also endorsed Dobson.
“The Democrats think they have this race locked up because they’ve put forward a Black candidate with political ties, but we’re here to set the record straight,” George Williams, leader of the Alabama Minority GOP’s South Alabama chapter, said in a statement
As of June 30, Dobson has raised nearly $800,000 in campaign contributions, and loaned her own campaign nearly $1.4 million. Comparatively, Figures has raised nearly $870,000 in campaign contributions, and loaned his own campaign $25,000.
Figures began airing a new add earlier this month that touted his experience in Washington, D.C.
The general election will be held Nov. 5. The voter registration deadline is Oct. 21, and the last day to apply for an absentee ballot by mail is Oct. 29. The deadline to apply in person is Oct. 31.