‘Cowardly’: Democrat Clyde Jones blasts Jerry Carl for refusing congressional debate
An invitation to debate ahead of Alabama’s 1st Congressional District special election has quickly devolved into a war of words between Republican nominee Jerry Carl and Democratic nominee Clyde Jones Jr.
Fresh off his primary victory Tuesday, Carl said he would not debate Jones, a Daphne resident who immediately called on the former congressman to participate in at least one public forum before the Nov. 3 general election.
“Let the voters hear from us and make an informed choice when they vote for their representative in November,” Jones said Tuesday, adding that if elected, he wants to ensure Congress “accepts its responsibility” in crafting policies on immigration, health care and veterans affairs.
Carl rejected the request in a statement issued Wednesday.
“A debate only brings life to the Democrats’ socialist platform,” Carl said in a statement to AL.com. “We feel confident in our ability to bring America First and Alabama Values directly to the Alabama voters. We will not commit to any debates at this time.”
Jones responded by calling Carl’s decision “cowardly.”
“As a veteran, I find it cowardly not to give them that opportunity,” said Jones, a U.S. Army veteran and Bronze Star recipient for his service in Operation Desert Storm and Operation Iraqi Freedom II. “We respect our voters enough to know that we need to earn their vote, and that includes giving them an opportunity to hear our platform, face-to-face.”
Jones, an associate minister at Macedonia Missionary Baptist Church in Daphne, faces long odds in the Republican-leaning district. Carl represented Alabama’s 1st Congressional District from 2021 to 2025 and is seeking a return to Congress after winning Tuesday’s Republican primary runoff.
The district was re-established during a special legislative session in May and includes Mobile, Baldwin and Escambia counties, and portions of Covington County. The boundaries closely resemble those used before 2023, ahead of a court-ordered congressional redistricting that ultimately created a second majority-Black congressional district. The 1st congressional district was redrawn at that time to include Baldwin County and much of the Wiregrass region.
The decisions this spring by the U.S. Supreme Court on redistricting and voting rights led to the restoration of the Republican-backed congressional map prior to 2023 and the addition of a GOP-leaning District 2 seat in south Alabama.
According to the Cook Political Report, the 1st congressional district favors Republicans by 17 percentage points.
Still, Jones is using the race to promote a platform that includes expanding Medicaid, overturning Citizens United through congressional action, banning stock trading by members of Congress and their immediate families, and pursuing immigration reform that includes a “clear path” to documented status.
He also criticized Carl’s congressional record, arguing that the former congressman “legislated zero bills that became law.” Jones said voters deserve to hear Carl discuss issues beyond what he characterized as familiar campaign talking points, including “I am going to support Trump” and “Democrats are Socialists.”
Carl’s campaign declined further comment.
The dispute comes as debates between major-party candidates have become increasingly uncommon in Alabama’s statewide and federal elections.
The most recent congressional debate before a general election occurred in 2024, when Republican Caroleene Dobson and Democratic candidate Shomari Figures met ahead of their race in Alabama’s redrawn 2nd Congressional District. Figures ultimately won that contest.
This year, Democratic gubernatorial nominee Doug Jones has welcomed a debate from Republican U.S. Sen. Tommy Tuberville. Doug Jones similarly called for debates during Tuberville’s successful 2020 Senate campaign, but the two have never shared a debate stage.
Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey largely avoided formal debates during her gubernatorial campaigns. Her decision to skip a Birmingham television station’s Republican primary debate in 2018 in favor of an appearance at a Birmingham Barons baseball game drew criticism from rivals, though it did little to hurt her politically. Ivey won the primary outright and later defeated Democratic nominee Walt Maddox in the general election.