Alabama’s 2nd District race could be one of the state’s most expensive, with candidates raising nearly $5 million. (Left: Stew Milne for Alabama Reflector: Right: Caroleene Dobson Campaign)
Alabama’s 2nd Congressional District race could be one of the most expensive in the state in recent memory.
Democratic nominee Shomari Figures and Republican nominee Caroleene Dobson have raised a total of $4.97 million, according to Federal Elections Commission’s (FEC) campaign finance reports filed this week.
The amount is the largest in nominal terms for any U.S. House race in Alabama, though so far it trails other U.S. House races after adjusting for inflation.
According to Open Secrets, an organization that tracks data on campaign finance, the 2008 2nd Congressional District race saw Democratic nominee Bobby Bright and Republican nominee Jay Love raise about $3.7 million, or about $5.5 million today. It is nowhere close to the U.S. Senate races of 2017 and 2020, when the candidates raised $38.3 million and $39.2 million, respectively.
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A federal court last year approved a new congressional map that redrew the boundaries of the 2nd Congressional District in order to give Black voters a chance to elect a candidate of their choosing. The race represents Democrats’ best opportunity to increase their presence in Alabama’s U.S. House delegation since 2008. The outcome of the race could also determine which party controls the U.S. House of Representatives. Democrats only need to make a net gain of four seats to take control of the chamber.
According to the filings, Figures raised $1.07 million from July 1 to Sept. 30. Dobson raised $558,229. She also loaned her campaign $295,000 during that period.
Dobson campaign spokesperson Drew Dickson said in a statement that Dobson is a first-time candidate “who is running to change Washington and the way it operates rather than continuing the same failed policies of the past.”
“Her impressive fundraising is evidence that many are embracing Caroleene’s message of hope, reform, and bringing Alabama values and everyday common sense to our nation’s capital,” Dickson said.
The Figures campaign celebrated raising over $1 million in a single quarter.
“The more than $1 million raised is an investment from the people who are ready to protect Social Security benefits, expand health care access, and elect someone who will put this district first and actually work to find solutions for the most pressing problems we have here at home,” Figures said in a statement.
Since entering the race, Dobson has raised $1.4 million in contributions, along with loaning her campaign $1.68 million, totaling about $3.09 million. Figures has raised $1.94 million to date, including $25,000 he loaned the campaign.
Figures also has significantly more Political Action Committee (PAC) funding behind him, with $488,865 since entering the race, with Democracy Engine PAC making the most donations totaling at $44,260. Dobson has had $323,250 in PAC donations, with E-PAC, which supports Republican candidates, donating the most, totaling $15,000.
The election is Nov. 5. The deadline to register to vote in the election is next Monday.
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