She was the one. Or so many thought. So many whispered.

State Sen. Vivian Figures has served the public in some capacity for almost four decades. In 1997 she became only the second Black woman to be elected to the Alabama state Senate when Mobile County voters overwhelmingly chose her to fill the seat vacated by the sudden death of her husband Sen. Michael Figures.

It only figured Figures would be among the plethora of names speculated when a federal court last month chose a reconfigured U.S. Congressional District 2 map with African Americans representing 47.6 percent of eligible voters and 45% white. The new district stretches from the state’s western to eastern borders and includes parts of Mobile and Montgomery, and offers an “opportunity”, the court ruled, for Black voters, who overwhelmingly vote Democratic, to elect a representative of their choice and flip a traditionally Republican seat.

The speculators were correct, yet not.

The Figures most likely to enter what is all but certain to be a crowded field of hopefuls isn’t the matriarch, but Vivian and Michael’s middle child: Shomari Figures. A former Barack Obama campaign and White House aide, Figures, 38, has stepped down from his role at the U.S. Department of Justice as Deputy Chief of Staff and Counselor to Attorney General Merrick Garland and confirmed he is contemplating a run for the seat after being encouraged to do so by numerous local figures.

“I have spent the bulk of my career in federal government service applying the lessons and experiences engrained in me as a proud product of Mobile, Alabama,” Figures shared. “It has been one of the great honors of my life to have heard from so many people in Mobile and across what is now District 2 who think enough of me to ask me to consider seeking the opportunity to represent them in Congress.

“To not listen and consider this possibility would be to ignore the people and places at the root of everything I’ve done in my career – those who made me who I am today. And that, I cannot do.”

Adds Sen. Figures: “There are a lot of people – including myself – who are excited by the possibility of him seeking public office. I think he would be an outstanding candidate and representative.”

Federal law and DOJ policy significantly limit employees from engaging in specific exploratory political activities for a partisan election, which precipitated Figures’ resignation. “It is absolutely necessary and proper for me to separate from the Department to be able to make an informed decision about this possibility,” he said.

No one has officially signed on for the race—qualifying ends November 10th. Amid the growing list of those who’ve either said they’re running for the seat or are considering doing so, Figures, who is married with three children, is the only one who is not an elected official.

Like several others whose interest in the seat is piqued, he does not reside within the district, which is not required under the U.S. Constitution. To qualify for a House or Senate seat, a candidate must only live somewhere in the state for at least one day and meet age and U.S. citizenship requirements. The law is different for state and local elections.

In Alabama, the residency requirement must be established at least 24 hours prior to he qualifying deadline.

Figures grew up in Mobile, attending Council Elementary, Phillips Middle, and LeFlore High School before heading to the University of Alabama, and its law school. From there, he embarked on a political and public service career that played out beyond Alabama—beginning as a clerk in St. Louis for Tuscaloosa-born Judge Nannette A. Baker in the Eastern District of Missouri.

Michael Figures, also an attorney, represented clients in the Black Belt and Mobile. One case eliminated Mobile’s at-large elections—which had long blocked Black representation in city government. Michael also served as co-counsel with the Southern Poverty Law Center in a case that won a $7 million verdict against the United Klans of America.

Shomari Figures’ paternal uncle, Thomas Figures, was Mobile’s first Black assistant district attorney and assistant U.S. attorney. The work of Thomas and Michael against the KKK in the 1981 killing of Black teen Michael Donald led to the execution of one Klan member and life sentences for two others and inspired a CNN special.

“I have heard from many people,” Shomari Figures said, “who all ultimately desire effective representation that will focus on elevating the district to the top of places where people want to live, businesses want to grow, and our schools and communities are prioritized with the resources necessary to enhance life opportunities and outcomes for everyone – especially our working class Alabamians and young people.

“We will continue to listen to the voices and concerns of voters across this District as we decide on next steps.”