Democrats Hope This New Congressional District Will Help Them Win the House

Democrats are hoping that a new congressional district in Alabama designed to give Black voters more voting representation can also help their efforts overall to win back the House.

Shomari Figures

J. Scott Applewhite/AP

When Democrats and Republicans talk about winning control of the House of Representatives in November, they tend to focus on battleground districts in New York and California.

But Alabama’s often overlooked 2nd Congressional District, created to give Black voters in Alabama a bigger voice, could play an outsize role in determining who wins control of the chamber as a majority could come down to just a few seats.

Democratic nominee Shomari Figures, a former Obama administration member, is facing off against Republican nominee Caroleene Dobson, a real estate attorney in the newly created district. It’s a competitive race that leans Democrat and a high-priority seat for both parties.