Democrat Shomari Figures won Alabama’s Second Congressional District election on Tuesday, defeating his Republican opponent Caroleene Dobson and flipping control of the district from Republicans to Democrats.
Figures’s win is historic, as he is just the fourth Black person to win a congressional seat in Alabama’s history. And, for the first time ever, the state’s congressional delegation will be sending two Black members to Washington, D.C. in the next term, as Rep. Terri Sewell (D-Alabama) won reelection in the state’s Seventh Congressional District.
With more than 95 percent of the votes recorded, Figures secured 54.6 percent of support from voters, versus Dobson’s 45.4 percent.
The Second Congressional District, which was redrawn last year due to a court order, is a plurality Black voter district, stretching across south central Alabama through many counties that are commonly referred to as “the Black Belt” of the state.
Figures grew up in the district he now represents. His parents were instrumental in pushing for civil rights and educational opportunities in the state, with his father becoming a state senator and his mother winning that same seat after his passing. Figures also served in the Obama administration.
Figures said his desire to become a congressional lawmaker stemmed, in part, from seeing the role the federal government played in ensuring the civil rights of Black Alabamans were being recognized by the state, which has a long history of segregation and disenfranchisement of nonwhite residents.
“When you grow up Black, especially in Alabama, you learn pretty early the role that the federal government has played historically in making this state do right by Black people. And that is something that always resonated with me, and was one of the motivating factors for me seeking out a career in the federal government,” Figures said in an interview before the election.
Indeed, the district that Figures won was created only after a federal judge ruled last year that Alabama’s districts, drawn by a Republican-led state legislature, were an unconstitutional gerrymander that diluted the voting power of Black residents.
GOP lawmakers appealed that ruling, and it eventually made its way to the Supreme Court. Even with its conservative bloc majority, however, the high court affirmed the lower court’s order, telling state lawmakers they had to redraw the maps to allow for a second Black-plurality district. When lawmakers submitted a new map that still diluted Black voters, the lower court ordered a special master to draw one instead.
Figures’s win was considered one of the many election wins necessary this year for Democrats to take control of the U.S. House of Representatives. Although it’s unclear where control of the House currently stands, Republicans look to be on track to retaining control of that chamber of Congress.
As of Thursday, Republicans have secured 209 House seats, while Democrats have only won 196, with dozens of races yet to be called. A total of 218 seats are needed to control the House, and within the remaining races, it appears as though Republicans are winning more of those contests than Democrats are, though their margin of victory, if that happens, will likely be small.
We’re not backing down in the face of Trump’s threats.
As Donald Trump is inaugurated a second time, independent media organizations are faced with urgent mandates: Tell the truth more loudly than ever before. Do that work even as our standard modes of distribution (such as social media platforms) are being manipulated and curtailed by forces of fascist repression and ruthless capitalism. Do that work even as journalism and journalists face targeted attacks, including from the government itself. And do that work in community, never forgetting that we’re not shouting into a faceless void – we’re reaching out to real people amid a life-threatening political climate.
Our task is formidable, and it requires us to ground ourselves in our principles, remind ourselves of our utility, dig in and commit.
As a dizzying number of corporate news organizations – either through need or greed – rush to implement new ways to further monetize their content, and others acquiesce to Trump’s wishes, now is a time for movement media-makers to double down on community-first models.
At Truthout, we are reaffirming our commitments on this front: We won’t run ads or have a paywall because we believe that everyone should have access to information, and that access should exist without barriers and free of distractions from craven corporate interests. We recognize the implications for democracy when information-seekers click a link only to find the article trapped behind a paywall or buried on a page with dozens of invasive ads. The laws of capitalism dictate an unending increase in monetization, and much of the media simply follows those laws. Truthout and many of our peers are dedicating ourselves to following other paths – a commitment which feels vital in a moment when corporations are evermore overtly embedded in government.
Over 80 percent of Truthout‘s funding comes from small individual donations from our community of readers, and the remaining 20 percent comes from a handful of social justice-oriented foundations. Over a third of our total budget is supported by recurring monthly donors, many of whom give because they want to help us keep Truthout barrier-free for everyone.
You can help by giving today during our fundraiser. We have 72 hours to add 273 new monthly donors. Whether you can make a small monthly donation or a larger gift, Truthout only works with your support.