Figures Wins History Election in Alabama

Attorney Shomari Figures won the newly created minority 2^nd Congressional District in Alabama, receiving nearly 53 percent or 157,092 votes, defeating attorney Caroleene Dobson. Figures received 50.69 percent of the vote in Russell County or 10,353 to Dobson’s 49.24 percent of 10,057 votes.

“Tonight, it’s not about me. It is about us. It is about us as a district. It is about us as a people. It is about us as a state,” Figures said at his victory party in Mobile, Ala.

The new redrawn district, which goes from Russell County to Montgomery to Mobile, was created because despite recent census data showing that Russell County, Mobile County, and Montgomery County are increasingly black, they currently have white representation diluting their vote and denying them fair representation by people who look and think like them.

Vice President Kamala Harris won Russell County by 50.28 percent of the vote, but it wasn’t enough to win the state or the national election.

Locally, Democrat Belinda Strickland won the office of Judge of Probate for Russell County, after receiving 10,897 votes, or 53.4 percent, beating Republican Kristi Mott, by more than 1,000 votes.

Democrat Cedric Darrell Darty beat Republican Bob Franklin for the District 5 seat on the Russell County Commission with 68.18 percent or 2,218 of the votes. Democrat Larry Screws beat Republican Brent Comer by just over 300 votes, with 54.44 percent or 1,987 votes.

Republican Meghan Catrett beat Democrat Tommy Pugh for the District 3 seat on the Russell County Board of Education, winning 77.45 percent of the vote or 1,542 votes, to his 442 votes.

Democrat Patricia Ann Hill Smith handily beat Republican Sarah Beaman for the District 6 seat on the Russell County Board of Education receiving 77.75 percent of the vote to Beaman’s 22.03 percent.

In the constable’s race, several seats only receive write-in votes as no one qualified to run in the district. However, Independent Bennie Stephen Franklin Sr. will hold the seat for District 3, winning 93.32 percent of the vote, and Republican Leann Horne will serve as Constable for District 5 after receiving 82.60 percent of the votes. Also, Independent Jimmy Adams will represent District 6 after receiving 95 percent of the vote; and Democrat Danny Sandlin will serve District 7 with 92.49 percent of the vote.

The Despite recent census data showing that Russell County, Mobile County, and Montgomery County are increasingly black, they currently have white representation diluting their vote and denying them fair representation by people who look and think like them.