Figures wins Alabama's redrawn 2nd Congressional District

Source: AP

Updated 1:18 AM EST, November 6, 2024


MOBILE, Ala. (AP) — Shomari Figures, a former top aide to U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland, on Tuesday won election to Alabama’s 2nd Congressional District, which was redrawn by a federal court to give Black voters a greater voice in selecting their representative.

Figures, a Democrat, defeated Republican Caroleene Dobson to win the open seat, flipping the district that had been a GOP stronghold until it was redrawn last year. A federal court ruled that Alabama had illegally diluted the influence of Black voters — who make up 27% of the state’s population — and reshaped the district to give Black voters a fair opportunity to elect a congressional candidate of their choosing.

Figures, an attorney, served as deputy chief of staff and counselor to Garland and also served as an aide to former President Barrack Obama, serving as domestic director of the Presidential Personnel Office. Obama recorded robocalls encouraging voters to support Figures. U.S. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries also traveled to Alabama to support Figures, underscoring the role the district could play in which party has control of Congress.

In his victory speech, Figures said voters were making a statement that it was time to do something different.

Read more: https://apnews.com/article/alabama-house-shomari-figures-caroleene-dobson-a538c479e7cc06fb43adc4094bd84ee7