Doug Jones, the Democratic nominee for governor, will host a public town hall Thursday, July 9, at IBEW Local 588 in Sheffield.
The event begins at 5 p.m. at 1803 East 17th Street. It will be Jones’ third free community event in the area since entering the governor’s race.
“No script. No hand-picked questions. Just Doug Jones listening to Shoals residents about the challenges they face and talking about the solutions Alabama needs,” Jones’ campaign said in a release announcing the event.
Jones said he keeps returning to the Shoals because the community helped shape who he is. Senator Howell Heflin, a Tuscumbia native, introduced Jones to public service and became his mentor. After law school, Jones worked on Heflin’s campaign before joining his Senate staff. In 2017, Jones became the first Democrat elected to represent Alabama in the U.S. Senate since Heflin retired.
“The Shoals has always held a special place in my heart,” Jones said. “It’s where I learned that public service starts with listening. That’s why I keep coming back. I’m going to earn every vote by showing up, answering questions, and talking honestly about how we lower costs, strengthen our schools, keep rural hospitals open, and move Alabama forward together.”
Jones’ campaign said holding the event at IBEW Local 588 is significant because Jones is the son of a U.S. steelworker and has stood with Alabama’s working families and organized labor throughout his career. In 2017, the AFL-CIO ran the largest labor political program in Alabama history to help elect Jones to the Senate.
Jones said he is running to build an economy where working people “can get ahead instead of just getting by” and that he believes Alabamians are ready for change. In the May primary, Democratic turnout in the Shoals was more than double what it was four years ago, according to the campaign.
The town hall is part of Jones’ statewide town hall tour, “where voters set the agenda and nothing is off limits,” the campaign said. The event is open to the public, regardless of political affiliation.
“The people of Alabama deserve a governor who shows up, listens, and gets to work,” the release said.
