Democratic congressional candidate Lee McInnis will host an open meeting with voters in Opelika next week, his campaign recently announced. The meeting will take place on Wednesday, November 19 at the Opelika Public Library from 6 to 8 p.m., and attendees are encouraged to bring non-perishable food items to support local food banks.
McInnis, a veteran of the U.S. Army and defense intelligence community, recently launched his campaign to unseat incumbent U.S. Representative Mike Rogers, R-Alabama, in Alabama’s 3rd Congressional District.
McInnis is currently the sole Democrat in the race.
“Mike Rogers hasn’t held an open town hall meeting since 2017,” McInnis said ahead of next week’s event. “We’re out there talking with voters week in, week out, and that’s how we’re learning what the district needs.”
According to his campaign, McInnis expects audience participation to drive the event, but will also use the opportunity to address issues affecting families, workers, farmers, veterans and healthcare.
“This is something Mike Rogers won’t do,” McInnis reiterated. “We’re going to have an open conversation with the people. They’ll have a chance to learn about me, my campaign, and what we’re working toward, and I’ll listen to their concerns and what they want from their representative.”
McInnis encourages any interested Alabamians to attend the meeting, regardless of their political affiliation or where they might live in the state.
“We want to hear from a diverse group of people so we can identify problems and work together toward solutions,” the candidate said. “That’s how I’m running my campaign, and that’s how I’m going to work when elected.”
A native Alabamian, McInnis attended Homewood High School and Auburn University before joining the U.S. Army where he served in both Iraq and Afghanistan. After leaving the Army, McInnis worked in the defense intelligence community for 28 years, then retired to become a lead instructor at Aiken Technical College in Aiken, South Carolina. In 2022, he returned with his wife to Lee County.
McInnis’s military and intelligence service earned him two NATO medals, the Joint Staff Civil Commendation Medal, the Global War on Terrorism Civilian Service Medal and the Defense Intelligence Agency Director’s Intelligence Award.
According to his campaign website, McInnis’s top policy priorities include restoring federal healthcare funding, ensuring access to quality public education, and reforming what he calls a “regressive” federal tax code.
