Montgomery Mayor Steven Reed formally endorsed Shomari Figures Wednesday in the race to represent Alabama’s Second Congressional District.
The state capital is the largest city in the district, which also includes a portion of Mobile in a court-ordered overhaul of the district boundaries.
“He understands exactly what’s at stake, from expanding health care access, to protecting to voting rights, to ensuring our education system remains strong, creating jobs, helping us combat problems in our community, and making sure that we look after our military, our veterans,” Reed said.
Reed also considered running for the seat, but ultimately decided against it.
Figures said collaboration with district leaders like Reed will be an important part of representing the district well.
He also emphasized the role of the Civil Rights movement and Montgomery’s history in making the campaign possible.
“This (opportunity) is something that came about because of the efforts that happened here over 60 years ago, right here in Montgomery,” Figures said. “As I mentioned at the Democratic National Convention, Montgomery is the birthplace of the Civil Rights movement and I have said it before, and I will say it again: I think that Montgomery is the single most important American city in the 20th century because of the movement that was birthed out of here.”
Figures and Reed said the switch from Joe Biden to Kamala Harris as the Democratic nominee has energized the local campaign as well for a variety of reasons.
“We’ve seen more volunteers signing up to work with the campaign, more people knocking doors with us, making phone calls with us,” Figures said.
A Black woman at the top of the ticket resonates with voters in the district, Figures said, pointing to the civil rights history of the district and figures such as Rosa Parks.
Harris’ background as a member of a Black greek organization is another touchstone that many likely Democrat voters can connect with, Figures said.
The new district has a Black voting age population of just over 49 percent after a lawsuit challenged two previous state-drawn maps for violating the Voting Rights Act and denying Black voters an opportunity to elect the candidate of their choice.
“It’s up to us,” Figures said. “Since our past generation, our parents’ generation, our grandparents’ generation, they fought in a fight to get us that right. They got us the very legislation that created this district.”
Figures is facing Republican nominee Caroleene Dobson in the General Election on November 5.
In a statement to AL.com Wednesday, Dobson congratulated Figures on securing “the most obvious endorsement in the history of Alabama politics.”
