Mobile groups to host Alabama 2nd Congressional District candidate forum
The candidates running for the wide open 2nd Congressional District primary races in both the Democratic and Republican contests will gather in Mobile Thursday for a candidates forum five days before the March 5 primary.
The event dubbed “Conversation with the Candidates” will take place from 6-8 p.m. at Bernheim Hall inside the Bay May Library at 701 Government St. in downtown Mobile.
The event is free and open to the public, and organizers are hoping to get a high attendance from residents who live inside the congressional district’s boundaries, which includes most of the City of Mobile.
They are also seeking the public’s involvement for a Q&A portion of the event. Citizens are encouraged to submit their questions ahead of the forum at https://surveymonkey.com/r/PDY6YK5.
The event is hosted by a group that includes Mobile United, the Mobile Alumnae Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, the League of Women Voters, and the Greater Mobile Alabama Chapter of Links Inc.
Organizers invited all 18 candidates who will be on the ballot to participate. They said the following 12 candidates have accepted invitations:
Republicans
State Sen. Greg Albritton, former State Sen. Dick Brewbaker and Stacey Shepperson
Democrats
State Sen. Merika Coleman, state Rep. Anthony Daniels, state Rep. Juandalynn Givan, state Rep. Jeremy Gray, James Averhart, Shomari Figures, Phyllis Harvey-Hall, Willie Lenard and Vimal Patel
The stakes are high for the contest, and political experts believe that both races could be headed to a runoff election on April 16.
A federal court approved a new Alabama Congressional District 2 map in October, changing it from a safe Republican district to one where voters could elect the second Democrat and second Black representative in Alabama’s seven-member Congressional delegation.
Residency, especially among the Democrats, has been one of the biggest topics discussed at previous forums. The race has drawn multiple candidates who do not live within the new district’s boundaries after the three-judge panel OK’d the state’s new congressional map.
Related:
- Democratic candidates in Alabama’s 2nd Congressional District debate residency, voting, healthcare
- Residency remains sticky political issue during Alabama Congressional District 2 forum
Current 2nd District Rep. Barry Moore of Enterprise has opted to run for the more right-leaning 1st Congressional District seat held by U.S. Rep. Jerry Carl of Mobile. The two are engaged in a bitter and rare incumbent versus incumbent primary clash for the GOP nomination in the 1st District.
Alabama’s new 2nd Congressional District on a map approved by a federal court in October. The map will be used for the first time in the 2024 elections. (Image from the Legislature’s Reapportionment Office)Mike Cason/AL.com
Cook Political Report labeled the district as “lean Democrat” last fall. It’s a dramatic reversal for a district that was given a +34 advantage for Republicans by FiveThirtyEight.com before the map was redrawn. It’s a district where Moore won by 30.5 percentage points during the 2020 general election.
The general election is expected to draw attention to the seat. Democrats will be looking to flip the district at a time the Republicans have a razor-thin 219-212 majority in the U.S. House.