House Minority Leader Anthony Daniels, D-Huntsville, endorsed Democratic nominee Shomari Figures on Monday in the race for Alabama’s Second Congressional District.
Daniels and Figures faced each other in the runoff for the nomination, but said Monday that there has never been a question of support for whoever had won the role.
Calling the upcoming election the “most consequential in American history,” Daniels said Democrats can’t afford to be apathetic just because they live in a red state.
“If your vote doesn’t matter, why are they focusing so hard on taking it away from you,” Daniels said.
Daniels led the charge in the House to create a more representative district, stymied by Republicans who drew the district to minimize Black voting power. Plaintiffs fought long and hard against two versions of the district put forward by Republicans and prevailed in court, resulting in the district as constituted today with a Black voting age population of more than 48 percent.
“It would be a shame to win the case and lose the race,” Figures said. “That is a call to action for everybody because winning the case was one thing—that took litigation. But winning this race is something that will take the collective effort of everybody involved.”
Meanwhile, Republican nominee Caroleene Dobson picked up an endorsement from Gov. Kay Ivey in an ad that began airing Friday.
in the ad, Ivey can be seen writing a letter to Dobson while Ivey narrates.
“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 is fighting an uphill battle in a district that has been dubbed likely to vote Democrat by pundits, but Figures said Monday that voters have to fight the urge to be complacent.
“I am always concerned about complacency, because we know that what the history of this district tells us,” Figures said. “Yes, President Biden would have carried this district, but it also tells us that Kay Ivey would have carried this district as well.
The battle between Figures and Dobson represents a rare competitive race in the state where gerrymandering has led most districts to comfortable margins for the locally prevailing party.
