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CAndidate Questionnaires
Alabama CD-2
BACKGROUND ON ALABAMA'S new 2nd congressional district
Over the past two years, the United States Supreme Court heard the case of Allen v. Milligan, which argued that the state of Alabama had discriminated against Black voters when it drew its voting districts, disenfranchising them and weakening their voting power. The Supreme Court agreed with that claim – siding with voting rights activists – and the Court ordered the Governor and State of Alabama to draw fair maps that gave Black citizens the power to elect a candidate who will represent their values in the U.S. House of Representatives. This opportunity comes in the form of a new Congressional District: Alabama CD-2. It includes parts of Mobile County and all of the City of Mobile.
There are at least 12 candidates running to represent Alabama in the 2nd Congressional District, but only two candidates – one Democrat and one Republican – will advance to the general election in November.
Candidate Questionnaires
Because of the importance of the 2nd Congressional District in leveraging the power of the Black vote and bringing fairer representation to Alabama, Stand Up Mobile believes it is important to learn about the candidates running for this new seat. To help our community be informed voters, Stand Up Mobile sent a Community Questionnaire to all of the candidates, Democrat and Republican, running for AL CD-2. We asked all candidates to respond to the questionnaire by February 5, 2024 and received responses from the following individuals (in no particular order):
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James T. Averhart
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Napoleon Bracy, Jr.
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Merika Coleman
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Shomari Figures
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Jeremy Gray
The questions we asked are as follows:
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Why are you running for this seat?
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How do you plan to address disparities in educational opportunities and resources among different communities within our district?
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Given the rising cost of housing in our area, what measures will you support to ensure affordable housing options for all residents, including low-income families and individuals?
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With budget constraints, how will you prioritize funding for social services, such as mental health programs, addiction treatment, and support for vulnerable populations?
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What steps do you think government should take to address police brutality against communities of color?
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Do you support an individual’s right to reproductive rights?
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Will you make it a priority to get the John Lewis Voting Rights Act passage?
To view each candidates response to the questions, click on their photo below. Please note that Stand Up Mobile is a non-partisan organization and therefore, will not be endorsing any candidates in the 2024 elections. We are publicizing these candidate questionnaires based on community concerns to help voters in Mobile make their own informed choice when they go to the polls on Tuesday, March 5th.
