Mark Wheeler understands that Democrats rarely win statewide elections in Alabama.

Born and raised in Heflin, Wheeler is running for the Democratic nomination for the U.S. Senate seat that Tommy Tuberville is leaving to run for governor.

Wheeler, 32, is a chemist for a wire manufacturer and points to his life story an example of overcoming long odds.

Wheeler’s father was sentenced to life in prison for murder when Wheeler was an infant, in 1994.

Wheeler’s mother remarried, and in 2005, his stepfather was arrested for murder and became one of three people convicted in the slaying of four people in Cleburne County.

Both men are still in prison.

“I say that to say that I’ve spent a lot of my life around a lot of bad people,” Wheeler said. “Not necessarily bad people but people with bad circumstances. My circumstances have been bad.

“I’ve worked very hard to overcome those circumstances, to be who I am today. I don’t say that I’ve done that alone. There has been positive people in my life.”

Perseverance, persistence, and consistency under pressure are the qualities that Wheeler said carried him through the childhood trauma.

“The same principles that has gotten me out of poverty and given me a college education and a career, I think those same policies will serve me well in serving the people of Alabama,” Wheeler said.

Wheeler is one of three Democratic candidates who have announced they are running for Tuberville’s seat. The others are Dakarai Larriett, a business owner, Birmingham native, and University of Alabama graduate, and Kyle Sweetser, a business owner and former Republican from Mobile.

Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall is running for the Republican nomination, as is Jared Hudson, a former Navy Seal who runs an non-profit organization that helps law enforcement fight human trafficking.

The primary is May 19, 2026.

Wheeler has a bachelor’s degree in chemistry and emergency management from Jacksonville State University, according to the bio on his campaign website.

As a polymer chemist, Wheeler said his job is to ensure product safety.

“I am the guy that makes sure that new wire that’s made is not going to burn your house down,” Wheeler said.

The Senate race is his first run for public office.

Wheeler said he picked the Senate race, as opposed to a county or state office, because of what he said was a lack of responsiveness and communication from elected officials in Washington.

“I’ve always had this impression that if I do good by other people, they will do good by me,” Wheeler said. “So, for small town politics, that’s always been OK.

“If I need something done, I can approach my mayor or somebody else, I can fix it. Or they will fix it for me. It’s always worked like that, regardless of my status.

“But when it gets to these more senior offices, anytime I’ve ever called my representative or my senator, I’ve never talked to the representative or the senator. I never see them at town halls.

“I’ve never had any contact with them whatsoever. They are like mythical figures. Almost don’t exist.”

Wheeler said he would work to establish term limits for members of Congress and the Supreme Court, a ban on stock trading by members of Congress, and policies that protect clean air and water.

He supports a national health insurance program. He said a nationwide plan would spread the risks and costs over a larger group and make healthcare more affordable.

“It is more affordable if we are all in it together rather than piecemeal, small groups,” Wheeler said.

“Every paycheck you get, you’re having Medicare taxes taken out. You’re already paying for it. Why not use it?” he said.

A priority for Wheeler would be development of a high-speed rail system. He commutes 80 miles a day to his job in Carrolton, Ga.

“I think mass transit is a way that we can really cut people’s overall cost of living,” Wheeler said. “So you don’t need as much of a car, or maybe you don’t need a vehicle at all.

“You save on fuel. You pay less in insurance because you don’t have to drive as much. To me that’s a really big deal.”

Wheeler said everyone would benefit from mass transit, especially people in rural Alabama who have limited job opportunities.

“With mass transit, you could commute to your closest small town hub, hop a rail and ride it to whatever city you want and work wherever,” Wheeler said.

He said a high-speed rail system could incorporate new corridors for national power grid, fiber internet expansion, and even interstate water lines.

“There are tons of opportunity there,” Wheeler said. “It’s just collaborating and bringing people together to make it happen.”

Wheeler said he believes his knowledge as a chemist gives him a better grasp of certain issues than most members of Congress, such as risks to clean water and air.

“I care about environmental stewardship,” Wheeler said. “I understand the value of the EPA. I understand what these chemicals can do with our water.”

Wheeler said his goal is to change what he considers the ties between voters and their representatives in Washington.

“I feel like there should be more connection and transparency,” Wheeler said. “They should be more available to the public.”

“They should be here, living in state, not living most of the time in Florida or Washington, DC.”

The last win for Democrats in a statewide race in Alabama came in 2017, when Doug Jones beat Roy Moore in an election for the U.S. Senate. Until then, Democrats had no won a statewide race since 2008.

But Wheeler said that recent history is not an excuse.

“I’ve reached a point in my life where I feel like if I don’t change things, then my children aren’t going to have a world worth growing up in,” Wheeler said. “Their kids won’t have a world to thrive in.”