Alabama’s 2nd Congressional District is a toss-up election this year as candidates Caroleene Dobson and Shomari Figures go head-to-head to represent the district in the House of Representatives after the state’s congressional map was redrawn last year.
The race could impact the slim Republican House majority, and major political figures, including House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries and Texas Rep. Jasmine Crockett have visited the district leading up to Election Day.
The last time the district had a Democratic representative was 2008. At the time, Alabama had three Democrats in the U.S. House: Reps. Bobby Bright of the 2nd district, Parker Griffith in the 5th and Artur Davis in the 7th. The number dropped to one Democrat an election later, after Bright was unseated by former Rep. Martha Roby and Griffith lost to former Rep. Mo Brooks.
What did the district look like before?
Before the state’s map was redrawn, Alabama’s 2nd Congressional District consisted of Autauga, Barbour, Bullock, Butler, Coffee, Conecuh, Covington, Crenshaw, Dale, Elmore, Geneva, Henry Houston and Pike Counties. It also includes parts of Mobile and Montgomery Counties.
Why was the map redrawn?
The map was redrawn last summer, in the case of Allen v. Milligan.
The U.S. Supreme Court ruled 5-4 that the proposed Alabama congressional district map was gerrymandered, discriminating against Black voters in the state. Chief Justice John Roberts, along with Justices Sonia Sotomayor, Elena Kagan, Brett Kavanaugh and Ketanji Brown Jackson voted in the favor, with Justices Clarence Thomas, Samuel Alito, Neil Gorsuch and Amy Coney Barrett dissenting.
The state initially refused to redraw the map, defying the federal court order. However, a new map was eventually drawn.
What does the district look like now?
The new map includes the same districts as the old one but encompasses more of Montgomery County as well as parts of Mobile County to include more minority voters. The new map gives Alabama a second near-majority Black district, setting the stage for the competitive primaries as a minority opportunity district.
Who ran for the seat?
On Super Tuesday, eight candidates competed for the Republican nomination for the district.
Greg Albritton (State Sen. District 22)Former state Sen. Dick BrewbakerCaroleene DobsonKarla M. DePriestWallace GilberryHampton S. HarrisStacey T. SheppersonBelinda Thomas
Brewbaker won the primary, with Dobson coming in second. However, Dobson defeated him in the runoff, receiving 58.8% of the vote. He has since endorsed Dobson for the House seat.
The Democratic primary had 11 candidates:
James AverhartNapoleon Bracy Jr. (State Rep. House District 98)Merika Coleman (State Sen. District 19)Anthony Daniels (State Rep. House District 53)Shomari FiguresJuandalynn “Le Le” Givan (State Rep. House District 60)Jeremy Gray (State Rep. House District 83)Phyllis Harvey-HallWillie J. LenardVimal PatelLarry Darnell Simpson
Figures won the primary with over 40% of the vote. He went on to defeat state House Minority Leader Anthony Daniels, receiving 61% of the vote.
When is the Election?
Election Day is Nov. 5. Polling places will be open from 7 a.m. until 7 p.m. If you are still in line when your polling place closes, you will still be able to vote.
Victor Hagan is the Alabama Election Reporting Fellow for the USA TODAY Network. He can be reached at [email protected] or on X @TheVictorHagan. To support his work, subscribe to the Advertiser.
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Publish date : 2024-10-31 22:49:00
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