Shomari Figures, a Black Democrat, defeated Republican Caroleene Dobson to win the seat in an Alabama congressional district that was reconfigured by a court ruling last year.
Figures received 54.8% of the vote, compared to 45.1% for Dobson, with 84% of the vote counted on Tuesday.
The U.S. Supreme Court affirmed a previous decision in 2023 that required redrawing the 2nd District and stated that Alabama’s district layout probably discriminated against Black voters. White voters make up 45% of the new area’s electorate, while Black voters make up 47.6%.
Black voters now have the ability to influence who is elected in their communities after a three-judge bench altered the district, which now includes cities like Tuskegee, Montgomery, and Mobile.
Figures grew up in Mobile, which is part of the district, and worked under the Obama administration. His mother currently holds the position, while his late father, Michael Figures, was a state senator from Alabama. The Democrats’ attempts to retake the House depend heavily on the son’s victory.
“We feel like a lot of people want us to be a voice that’s going to go to Washington to actually, prioritize trying to fix some of the issues in their communities and trying to get funding to help address some of the issues in their communities,” Figures stated.
Figures, 39, stated that he is content to take on the responsibility of representing Black people in his state.
“When you grow up Black, especially in Alabama, you learn pretty early on the role that the federal government has played historically in making this state do right by Black people,” he told journalist Maya Rupert in an interview last month.
He continued that, “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.”
Read Also: New Jersey Votes for History: Andy Kim Becomes First Korean-American in Senate
Alongside Democrat Rep. Terri Sewell, figures will represent Alabama. Alabama’s congressional delegation will have two Black members for the first time.
With the exception of 2009–2011, Republicans have controlled the 2nd District since 1965. According to the Alabama Reflector, Dobson, a real estate lawyer, sought to maintain the Republican hold on the district in the most costly House election in the state’s history.
“People are ready for the type of leadership that is going to pay attention to the communities, to the counties, to the populations of people who think they’ve been far too overlooked for far too long,” Figures stated.
