Complete list of candidates for District 2:

Caroleene Dobson and Shomari Figures

The responses from the District 2 candidates are printed in their entirety below.

Where is your primary place of residence?

(R) Caroleene Dobson: Montgomery, Montgomery County, AL.

(D) Shomari Figures: Mobile, Alabama.

Current Employment Information

(R) Caroleene Dobson: Real Estate Attorney at Maynard Nexsen.

(D) Shomari Figures: “Self.”

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

(R) Caroleene Dobson: No.

(D) Shomari Figures: “No.”

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

(R) Caroleene Dobson: “Yes, I am a board member of the Southeastern Livestock Exposition and Commissioner on the Alabama Forestry Commission. I am proud to be endorsed by organizations such as the Alabama Farmers Federation, the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association, the Alabama Peanut Producers Association, and the Texas and Southwestern Cattle Raisers Association.”

(D) Shomari Figures: “No.”

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

(R) Caroleene Dobson: “As a Christian, wife, mother, and lawyer, my life is built on a foundation of hard work, faith, and service. My professional experience as a real estate attorney, combined with my upbringing on my family’s cattle farm, has given me a deep understanding of the challenges and opportunities facing our business community. I am committed to confront these challenges head-on and will advocate for policies that support economic growth in our district.”

(D) 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.”

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?

(R) Caroleene Dobson: “The prosperity of District 2 starts with our economy. I will work tirelessly to ensure that our business community has an economic environment that it can thrive and grow in. Having been raised on a farm, I know firsthand how government overreach can hurt businesses. I am proud to have signed the Grover Norquist “Taxpayer Protection Pledge” and will oppose any new proposed tax increases. To this end, I plan to engage directly with the business community and ensure that their voices are heard.”

(D) 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.”

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

(R) Caroleene Dobson: “Yes, I believe that the strategic use of Direct Congressional Spending is crucial to address the unique needs of our district. I will prioritize investments that support infrastructure, education, and economic development projects that are directly aligned with the long-term interests of our residents.”

(D) Shomari Figures: “Yes. 100%.”

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

(R) Caroleene Dobson:

I am running to fight for Alabama:

1. families
2. farms
3. faith.

In Washington, I will stand up against liberal policies, but I will also keep my head down and work hard to restore our freedoms, protect our rights, and bring opportunities to Alabama’s 2nd District.

(D) Shomari Figures:

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

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

(R) Caroleene Dobson: “Due to the failures of President Biden’s border policies, immigration affects every city, state, and district in the country. Our district is no exception. The border is a national security risk. In Congress, I will support President Trump’s agenda to stop this open season we have now and go back to the remain in Mexico policy.”

(D) 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.”

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

(R) Caroleene Dobson: “In Washington, I will work to bring the opportunities and growth to the 2nd District that our residents deserve. Our district is blessed with an abundance of natural resources and means of economic growth. As a central hub for commerce and industry, that economic growth starts with Mobile. It will be my mission to unlock the potential of our port, businesses, and workforce to stimulate the economy not just locally, but across our entire district.”

(D) 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.”

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

(R) Caroleene Dobson: “The Mobile Chamber will be a key partner in my efforts to create a thriving business community. I will actively engage with Chamber leadership and its members to understand the specific needs and challenges faced by our local businesses. This will involve regular communication, collaborative planning, and support for initiatives that drive economic development in our district.”

(D) 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.”

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