Complete list of Democrat candidates for District 2:

James Averhart, Napoleon Bracy, Jr., Merika Coleman, Anthony Daniels, Shomari Figures, Juandalynn “LeLe” Givan, Jeremy Gray, Phyllis Harvey-Hall, Willie J. Lenard, Vimal Patel and Larry Darnell Simpson.

The responses from the District 2 Democrat candidates are printed in their entirety below. If any candidate is not listed, a response was not received.

To see the Mobile Chamber’s full election guide, click here. 

VIEW THE DISTRICT 2 REPUBLICAN Q & A

Where is your primary place of residence?

Napoleon Bracy: Saraland, Alabama.

Anthony Daniels: Madison, Madison County.

Shomari Figures: Mobile, Alabama.

Jeremy Gray: Phenix City, Russell County.

Vimal Patel: Troy/Pike.

Current Employment Information

Napoleon Bracy: “Manager at Austal USA and State Representative.”

Anthony Daniels: “Premiere Dental Spa (2 locations).”

Shomari Figures: “Self.”

Jeremy Gray: “Small business owner and State Representative.”

Vimal Patel: Hospitality(Hotels).

Are you a Mobile Chamber member or are you affiliated with another local chamber of commerce? If yes, chamber name and city.

Napoleon Bracy: “Yes, Austal USA is a member of the Chamber.”

Anthony Daniels: “No.”

Shomari Figures: “No.”

Jeremy Gray: “Yes, Opelika Chamber of Commerce.”

Vimal Patel: “Pike County/Houston County/Montgomery County.”

Are you, or have you been, affiliated with any other business organization(s)? If yes, organization(s):

Napoleon Bracy: “Austal USA and Box Owt.”

Anthony Daniels: “No.”

Shomari Figures: “No.”

Jeremy Gray: “East Alabama Chamber of Commerce.”

Vimal Patel: “Hotels.”

What background or experience qualifies you to understand and respond to the unique needs of the local business community?

Napoleon Bracy: “I’m from this community and has worked in the areas of workforce and economic development for the last 11 years. I’m also in my 4th term in the Alabama House of Representatives and served 6 years on the Prichard City Council giving me a today of 20 years on service to this community.”

Anthony Daniels: “As a small business owner, I know firsthand the challenges businesses face. Growing up in this district grounds me in the reality of the opportunities and obstacles a business owner has to face in order to be successful here. I want to leverage my role in Congress to help more local businesses survive and thrive.”

Shomari Figures: “In addition to being from this community and having strong ties throughout the business community in Mobile, I and members of family own small businesses across the state. I have personally navigated a hospitality service business through the Covid-19 pandemic to a place of stability and success. I know first-hand many of the challenges our small businesses face and how government can play a role in addressing those challenges. I have also spent time working in Congress on small business issues, and supporting ideas and policies to provide small businesses with access to capital, a trained workforce, and other resources that the federal government can support.”

Jeremy Gray: “As a small business owner, founder of a non-profit community resource center, and state Representative, I’ve enacted six bills into law within five years. Skilled in bipartisan consensus-building, I consistently secure resources to serve the people I represent.”

Vimal Patel: “You have 2 different types of leaders in this race. Career Political Leaders(not me), and real world leaders(me). I manage multiple businesses daily with real people and with real impact. The background and experience of career politicians revolve around legislation that they can seldom agree on and when they do there is so much fluff that creates our fiscal issues and misses addressing what they set the legislation out for. There’s so many more 0’s when they sign the checks for the impact trade off.”

The business community in south Alabama is critical to our region’s long-term viability. How do you plan to work with the business community to ensure that fees, taxes, regulatory structures, and tax incentives allow businesses to be successful?

Napoleon Bracy: “I understand the business community’s legislative agenda and I have and will continue to hold the needs of the business community as a priority.”

Anthony Daniels: “In my time in the state legislature I have led the charge to improve workforce training, reduce unnecessary regulatory burdens and increase the retention of workers.”

Shomari Figures: “I plan to have an open and continuing relationship with the business community in the area. The business community is the best way to have a pulse on what is going on in the local community, what the challenges are, and where they need the type of support that the federal government can support. As the congressman, it would be my role to listen to those matters and go to Washington and try to bring back the resources that are necessary to support the local priorities that will create and retain more jobs in the community and lead to a more economically viable community.”

Jeremy Gray: “I’ll collaborate closely with the business community in south Alabama to review fees, taxes, regulations, and incentives. Together, we’ll streamline processes, reduce burdens, and adapt policies to support their success.”

Vimal Patel: “Small business is the backbone of our economy and a great impact to many households not just within our District, but throughout the State, and the Country. I am razor sharp when it comes to all things business, and I will also have someone in my office dedicated to proactively reach out to small businesses b/c there’s grants that a lot of people don’t know and that money is being wasted somewhere and we could be bringing that money into our District. Small business people just work from when they wake up to when they go to bed, so they don’t know about a lot of this. I would also ensure to resist any measure that I could that hurts small businesses.”

lf elected do you plan to use Direct Congressional Spending, also known as earmarks, to advance projects and services in your district?

Napoleon Bracy: “Yes. It’s my responsibility to bring back resources to our district.”

Anthony Daniels: “Yes I do. Earmarks are one of the best ways to direct resources into a Congressional district to fund vital projects and stimulate the local economy.”

Shomari Figures: “Yes. 100%.”

Jeremy Gray: “Absolutely.”

Vimal Patel: “In my life, I have always found ways to significantly improve the fiscal stability of a business, non-profit, etc. Injecting common sense into our decision making is half of the battle. D2, and honestly the whole state, will benefit from money I will bring in. All while remaining fiscally responsible so that our future generations are not paying for our irresponsibility of recent past.”

As a candidate, what are your top three policy priorities?

Napoleon Bracy:

1. Workforce development and job creation for citizens and veterans.
2. Stronger Education for pre-k, k-12, community college and colleges and universities including higher teacher pay.
3. Healthcare benefits by expanding Medicaid, protecting Medicare and veteran benefits.

Anthony Daniels: 

1. My top policy priority is to take the popular and successful bill I authored to exempt overtime wages from state income tax to the federal level.
2. Next is to provide support for rural hospitals and heath systems to prevent any further decline in care.
3. Finally I want to help combat the spreading impact of opiates in our communities.

Shomari Figures:

1. Economic & Workforce Development.
2. Healthcare Access and Affordability.
3. Education.

Jeremy Gray: 

1. Raising the minimum wage.
2. Universal Childcare.
3. Assisting our rural communities.

Vimal Patel:

1. Education
2. Small Business
3. Credit Reform in no particular order.

What do you see as the most important issue(s) currently facing District 2? How do you address the issue(s)?

Napoleon Bracy: “More economic development and job creation. Working closely with all levels of government to provide training and employment opportunities for our citizens.”

Anthony Daniels: “Protecting and expanding the seaport to ensure one of our biggest drivers of the local economy remains strong is a top issue for South Alabama.”

Shomari Figures: “District 2 is a large footprint comprised of 13 counties from southern to central Alabama, and from east to west Alabama. It is primarily a rural district from a geographic standpoint, but has two major urban centers (Mobile and Montgomery). Each community has unique priorities and issues facing them. As we traveled the District, we have heard some consistent themes in terms of issues that people care about.

1. Jobs/Economy – I will support workforce development programs, and also work fiercely to recruit more industry to the District, and ensure that I am supporting the policies and programs that help employers create jobs, and prepare workers for the jobs of now and the future.

2. Healthcare – I am a proponent of healthcare access for everyone and will support efforts to ensure that our most vulnerable citizens have access to quality healthcare. For our seniors, this means protecting medicare and social security.

3. Education – We need to support creating better public education systems and this starts by modernizing our school infrastructure across the District, and supporting our school teachers and support personnel by leveraging federal resources to support mechanisms that facilitate our ability to be able to recruit and retain the best possible teachers, who are the most important professions to the future of this District, this state and this nation.”

Jeremy Gray: “I’ll collaborate closely with the business community in south Alabama to review fees, taxes, regulations, and incentives. Together, we’ll streamline processes, reduce burdens, and adapt policies to support their success.”

Vimal Patel: “Education is the most critical issue D2 and our country faces. Without interfering with the local and State rights on this, we have to completely overhaul the system b/c it’s no longer relevant for 2024. How we treat our teachers is shameful. How we address mental health is already behind by a decade. We can respect and adhere to local and State rights without letting them get lost too far down the quicksand. I will lead a strong federal arm to pull them out.”

If elected, how do you see your position being most impactful in creating positive growth for the business community?

Napoleon Bracy: “I want to have a partnership with the business community. I already have very strong ties with business in our area. We are partnered on many workforce development and hiring events.”

Anthony Daniels: “I will steer benefits to the district that will create job growth and economic opportunity for business owners in south Alabama.”

Shomari Figures: “As Congressman, I would use the position to advocate for proven policies that stimulate economic growth and foster long-term economic viability, while ensuring that we have a workforce and infrastructure system that can sustain the growth we create. A Congressman should be the biggest advocate, cheerleader, and recruiter for businesses in the District, and I would be just that – using the platform of Congress to go to bat for creating jobs and growing our local economies.”

Jeremy Gray: “Drawing from my experience in fostering economic development in the State of Alabama, I am committed to replicating this success within the 2nd Congressional District. Through strategic legislative initiatives, I have facilitated the influx of tech jobs and fostered innovation, contributing to the state’s economic growth. My track record speaks for itself, distinguishing me as the candidate best poised to deliver tangible results in driving prosperity and opportunity within our district.”

Vimal Patel: “No one in this race has been as strong as I am on business, but as a Democrat we seem to get labeled as the opposite and organizations that should support me stay neutral. It doesn’t make sense but that’s the root of our problem in this country. We have 2 boxes and you are told you have to be in 1 of 2 boxes. I believe in the moderate middle and I will represent them.”

How will you work with the Mobile Chamber to ensure a thriving business community?

Napoleon Bracy: “I’m committed to supporting the Mobile Chamber as our leading economic development engine for south Alabama.”

Anthony Daniels: “I view local chambers of commerce as a sounding board and knowledge base to inform policy choices. The mobile chamber will be a partner in my office to make sure the policies I pursue will benefit every Alabamian.”

Shomari Figures: “I would maintain a meaningful open dialogue with the Mobile Chamber to keep a pulse on the active needs and status of the business community. It is imperative that a Congressman remain grounded in an actual understanding of what the District needs in order to assess how best Congress and the federal government can help to assist the local business community. I would make sure to incorporate a diverse set of voices and input to ensure that the equities of the various relevant stakeholders are incorporated into what we advocate for from Washington.”

Jeremy Gray: “First, I’ll always be accessible you can call me anytime. I will be sure advocate for the business community in Congress.”

Vimal Patel: “You will have me a business person. Beyond me, you’ll have 1 person you’ll get sick of seeing b/c it will be their job to be the liason between your Chamber and my office in DC.”

VIEW THE DISTRICT 2 REPUBLICAN Q & A