MONTGOMERY, Ala. — Candidates in Alabama’s newly redrawn Second Congressional District have pulled out all stops in the final days of their respective campaigns, touring the district and touting support from their party’s leadership and advocates.
Republican Caroleene Dobson and Democrat Shomari Figures are vying to represent what has historically been a Republican stronghold, but now leans Democrat after a federal court imposed a new congressional map on the state last year.
Recent polling shows control over the U.S. House of Representatives – which is currently held by Republicans – will likely be decided by just a handful of races across the country, with a new election analysis by FoveThirtyEight showing Republicans with a slight edge in maintaining House majority.
As a result, Republican and Democratic party leaders have poured significant resources into backing their respective candidate in the Alabama race, among them U.S. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-NY, who visited Montgomery Thursday in an effort to push Figures across the finish line.
“This particular seat, this race could really play a decisive role in which party is in control of the United States House of Representatives,” Jeffries said, standing alongside Figures, U.S. Rep. Terri Sewell and Montgomery Mayor Steven Reed.
“We are here today to support Shomari Figures, who will be a voice for the voiceless, a civil rights champion, a defender of our democracy, someone who will consistently put people over politics, and fight for the things that matter.”
Figures has made the rounds in his campaign’s final stretch across the new district, traveling from Washington County in southeast Alabama to Union Springs near Montgomery this month. Former U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder was with Figures in Mobile on Monday.
Dobson has been doing her own share of traveling as well.
On Wednesday, she joined Alveda King, former Georgia state lawmaker and niece of Martin Luther King Jr., at Joyful F.A.R.M.S. in Opelika to discuss what she would push for to be included in the new Farm Bill, having advocated in the past for the legislative package to focus more on food producers, and less on food assistance.
Dobson also traveled recently to Mobile County to meet with Alabamians in the Second District’s more rural areas, and has continued to see strong support from the agricultural community, having scored the endorsement of the Alabama Farmers Federation, the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association, and the Alabama Peanut Producers Association, among others.
In the remaining days of this election cycle, Dobson plans to travel to Pike Road to meet with residents, Troy University to attend the Troy Homecoming Parade, and on Sunday and Monday, attend two get-out-the-vote rallies in Montgomery and Monroeville, respectively.
Both candidates have received a number of endorsements from leading state and national figures.
Dobson’s campaign late last month began running television ads touting her endorsement from Gov. Kay Ivey, ads that were narrated by Ivey herself. She has also received endorsements from former presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy, U.S. Sen Katie Britt, and a number of Alabama sheriffs, district attorneys and Republican state lawmakers.
“I am so happy to hear Caroleene has made the sacrifice needed to run for not only public office but for Congress at a time when we are going to have an historic opportunity to translate a conservative, America First agenda into practice,” said Ramaswamy, after endorsing her late this month.
“Politics is not just about your views, it’s also about the person and somebody who is in there for the right reasons, and we need more of that.”
Figures has received his share of major endorsements as well, having secured support from former U.S. Attorney General Loretta Lynch, U.S. Rep. Terri Sewell, Alabama House Minority Leader and former Democratic opponent Anthony Daniels, D-Huntsville, and countless others.