The Alabama Democratic Conference has endorsed Shomari Figures in the Democratic runoff in Alabama’s redrawn 2nd Congressional District, Chairman Joe Reed announced in a news release Saturday night.

The ADC picked Figures, a former official in the U.S. Justice Department and the Obama administration, over Alabama House Minority Leader Anthony Daniels.

Figures led the 11-candidate field in the March 5 primary with 24,825 votes, or 43%. Daniels finished second with 12,774 votes, or 22%.

The ADC had endorsed Rep. Napoleon Bracy of Mobile in the primary, but Bracy finished third and did not make the runoff.

The winner of the April 16 runoff between Figures and Daniels will face the winner of the Republican runoff between Dick Brewbaker and Caroleene Dobson.

A federal court approved a new map in October changing the 2nd District from a safe Republican district to one where a Democrat can win. Voter turnout in the district was almost dead-even between the two parties on March 5. A Democratic victory would mean a second Democrat and second Black member in Alabama’s seven-member congressional delegation and would be a factor in determining control of Congress.

In the news release, Reed said Figures and Daniels spoke to the ADC’s executive committee in separate sessions. He said both had sought the endorsement at the ADC convention in February.

“I am pleased with the participation and the debate on the part of the ADC County Delegates,” Reed said in the press release, “and we recognize that the big fight will be in the November General Election.”

Charlie Staten, chair of the Mobile County Democratic Conference, offered the motion for the ADC to endorse Figures. Former Mayor Johnny Ford of Tuskegee supported Daniels, but after Daniels did not receive the endorsement, Ford called for the ADC to unite behind Figures.

“Our success over the years has been ‘Political Strength through Unity,’ and our people recognize that a house divided cannot stand,” Reed said in the news release. “Even though we have a major challenge for the November election, if we stick together and unite, we can give the voters in the 2nd Congressional District a 2nd Black Congressman for a 2024 Christmas Present.”

The newly drawn 2nd District goes from the Georgia line to the Mississippi and from Montgomery to Mobile, taking in all or part of 13 counties.

Figures is a Mobile native who worked in the Obama administration and as deputy chief of staff and counselor to U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland. He is the son of longtime state Sen. Vivian Davis Figures and Michael Figures, a state senator who died in 1996.

Daniels has represented a Huntsville-area district in the Alabama House since 2014. He has been House minority leader since 2017. Daniels grew up in Bullock County and said he maintains deep ties in the 2nd District.

The ADC endorsement comes a few weeks after Reed held a news conference at the ADC office criticizing what he called the undue influence of a Super PAC, Protect Progress, which has spent $1.6 million on campaign ads to support Figures, according to its Federal Election Commission reports. Protect Progress is based in Florida and is supported by the cryptocurrency industry.

On Thursday, Daniels received an endorsement from the Montgomery County delegation in the Alabama House, including Reps. Kelvin Lawrence of Hayneville, Phillip Ensler of Montgomery, Penni McClammy of Montgomery, TaShina Morris of Montgomery, and Kenyatte Hassell of Montgomery.