Shomari Figures

DOTHAN, Ala. — In deep-red south Alabama, hundreds of Democratic supporters packed a room 12 days before the midterms, collectively hoping U.S. Rep. Shomari Figures would defy the odds and win a district Republicans redrew this year to give their party an advantage.

With servings of banana pudding and snacks in hand, voters filed into seats last week at The Forum in Dothan during their lunch breaks to hear from Figures and national Democrats like the U.S. Sen. Cory Booker, D-N.J., and former U.S. Sen. Jon Tester, D-Mont., about the stakes of the state’s most competitive congressional race, the 2nd District.

“When’s the last time y’all been to a rally like this in Dothan?” Figures asked the crowd in Houston County, which went for President Donald Trump in the 2024 presidential election by about 48 points.

As Figures traverses the counties of the new district, stretching from the Wiregrass to Montgomery, he’s hoping that dissatisfaction with high prices this cycle and anger over redistricting will bring together a large enough coalition to propel him to reelection in a district Trump would have won by about 14 points in 2024.

On Tuesday, a week out from the election, a nonpartisan political forecaster, Sabato’s Crystal Ball, shifted the race in Democrats’ favor from “leans Republican” to “toss-up,” giving Figures his best prediction yet that he could pull off a win. Separately, the Cook Political Report on Friday moved the race from “likely Republican” to “lean Republican.”

“They took a pen, they carved it up, they carved out some communities of people who look like me,” Figures said at the Dothan rally. “We know what they were trying to do, but what they did not know that in doing that, it doesn’t matter what your district lines look like when people are paying $4 a gallon for gas.”

“Well, it doesn’t matter what your district lines look like when farmers are paying all-time high prices for diesel fuel. ”

The Mobile Democrat has focused his remarks on the campaign trail on issues that he believes transcend political parties, as he’s careful not to turn off voters who might not be loyal Democrats, including disaffected Republicans.

“We don’t see Democrat or Republican voters,” Figures told Alabama Daily News after the Dothan rally. “What we see is voters. What we see are people who are having to deal with the ramifications and the consequences of what’s coming out of the White House, what’s coming out of Congress right now with the refusal to stand up and push back against this administration.”

Figures is running against State Rep. Rhett Marques, a Republican from Enterprise who easily won the GOP nomination despite a confusing primary election schedule resulting from the district changes.

He was encouraged to run by fellow Enterprise native U.S. Sen. Katie Britt, R-Ala., who has continued to support his campaign, including through political contributions from her leadership PAC.

“This is my home congressional district, and I know firsthand AL-02’s values, priorities, and opportunities,” Britt said in a statement to ADN. “I’ve been proud to support Rhett since he announced his congressional bid in August 2025 and know he’s the right person for the job. Rhett will be an effective fighter for Alabama families and give this district a strong seat at the table.”

Despite an R+7 rating from Cook Political Report, Republicans aren’t taking the seat for granted this year, especially in a fraught economic climate.

Speaking at a GOP rally at SweetCreek Farm Market in Pike Road last week, Marques, surrounded by other Alabama Republican candidates, framed the race as a battle of “craziness versus common sense.”

The line drew an “amen” from the Pike Road crowd, and Marques hopes it spurs Republicans to the ballot box.

“Do we want the DSA crazy communist socialists in charge of our country going in that direction, or do we want to keep the conservative Republicans in charge in Washington, D.C.?” Marques asked. “Well, this seat in Congressional District 2 will determine that.”

During his campaign stops, Marques has stressed the importance of flipping the seat to keep Republicans in control of the U.S. House, urging GOP voters in the state to not be apathetic about the congressional race ahead of the midterms.

“This is an opportunity for us to do something great,” Marques said at the Pike Road event. “Take a Democrat seat, make it Republican where it should be, and the way it was supposed to be, the way it has been, and the way it should be.”

On Monday, Trump also renewed his endorsement of Marques in a social media post as both parties and outside groups have invested about $10.7 million into the race, as of Tuesday, during the general election season, according to AdImpact.

“A Highly Respected State Representative, Businessman, and Civic Leader, prior to running for Congress, Rhett has dedicated his life to serving his Community,” Trump wrote.

The president then went a step further than an endorsement and moved to attack Figures in the same post, calling him “Reckless, Radical, and Dangerous!”

Amid Trump’s sinking approval numbers nationwide, GOP candidates across the country, including Marques, are relying on a message outlining a fight against socialism and the “far left”.

And in a deep-red state, Republicans are extra hopeful that argument lands with voters to get them to the polls.

Marques often highlights his race first as a battle of “craziness versus common sense” even as inflation and cost of living remain the top concern for Alabama voters this year.

“We can have (Majority) Leader (Steve) Scalise continue leadership, or we can go the other direction toward Democrat socialists leading this country,” Marques said at a Dothan law enforcement roundtable campaign event alongside Scalise. “And that’s not the direction that we here in Alabama want.”

That argument struck a chord with cotton farmer Shep Morris as farmers face elevated diesel and fertilizer prices, worsened by the Iran war.

“People do a lot of fussing, but I think when they got to go in to vote, like I say, there’s not a choice B,” Morris said at Marques’ Pike Road rally. “Where do you want to go? You wanna become Cuba?”

Brady Johnson, Alabama GOP’s youth outreach coordinator, said fear of the socialist agenda gaining traction is also a motivating factor for young voters and one he likes to mention to young people across the state when they bring up costs at the pump.

“I tell them, we can survive high gas prices, but we can’t survive socialism,” Johnson told ADN at Marques’ rally.

Figures has distanced himself from the socialism label, and he and 85 House Democrats joined with Republicans to vote in favor of a resolution denouncing the horrors of socialism last November.

On the economic front, Cedric Coley, a member of several Republican groups in the state, said he understands that “gas and groceries, fuel and food” are at the forefront of voters’ minds.

He acknowledged that it’s hard to drum up support in light of those economic headwinds.

“(I) also know that some of the policies and actions from President Trump to Congress right now, people aren’t as enthusiastic and as active as we were two years ago,” Coley said, holding a plate of barbecue at Marques’ Sweet Creek rally.

“But I still feel as though the Republican Party has the best policies and principles to help us restore the American dream.”

Marques’ economic pitch hinges on what Republicans have already done, such as cutting taxes during his eight years in the Alabama Legislature or passing the massive tax and spending law in Congress last year.

On the campaign trail, Figures often takes current economic challenges head-on, which is easier to do when the other party is in power.

“Is gas way too high?” Figures asked the crowd at a Montgomery rally. “Kids, cover your ears. Is the gas way too damn high?”

“We know why. Because we are recklessly risking lives of American troops, including people who serve right here in Montgomery’s backyard at M