The Greene County Democrat

Category: Politics

  • Doug Jones spotlights diesel costs, veterans at Mobile town hall

    Doug Jones spotlights diesel costs, veterans at Mobile town hall

    By Staff, Alabama Political Reporter

    At a September 16 town hall in Mobile, Democratic nominee for governor Doug Jones discussed challenges facing Gulf Coast families. His campaign said Jones drew on a lesson from his time in the U.S. Senate: Listen to people living with a problem, then work to fix it.

    Jones said high diesel prices were keeping Gulf Coast shrimpers at the dock and raising costs for farmers, truckers and families.

    “You’ve got shrimpers sitting at the dock right now that can’t afford the diesel cost to get out there for their livelihood,” Jones said. “That’s going to affect that industry. It’s going to affect food. It’s going to affect a lot of people.”

    While answering a question about veterans, Jones recognized Cathy Milford in the crowd. The two worked to repeal the Military Widow’s Tax, an effort his campaign cited as an example of people affected by a problem helping solve it.

    “I get asked all the time, what is the single proudest thing that you did as a United States senator? And it was eliminating that Military Widow’s Tax for people like Cathy Milford right here, who worked her rear end off to make it happen,” Jones said.

    The Mobile County Democratic Executive Committee hosted the town hall. Democratic nominee for lieutenant governor Phillip Ensler joined Jones to take questions. State Senator Vivian Figures and State Representatives Sam Jones, Adline Clarke and Napoleon Bracy attended.

    Jones is scheduled to return to Mobile on Wednesday, September 23, for a free rally with Alabama musician Jason Isbell at Crown Hall. Rally information is available on Jones’ campaign website. The full town hall is available on YouTube.

    Featured Image: Gubernatorial candidate Doug Jones hosts a town hall. (Doug Jones Campaign)

  • The Supreme Court rejects Trump’s mail voting restrictions for this year’s midterms

    The Supreme Court rejects Trump’s mail voting restrictions for this year’s midterms

    By NPR, All Things Considered

    The Supreme Court has ruled against President Trump, rejecting his efforts to enact new mail-in voting restrictions for the midterm election.

    The ruling released Monday by the high court means the U.S. Postal Service is expected to continue delivering ballots as usual.

    Voting by mail has already begun in states including Alabama, North Carolina and Wisconsin, with more soon to follow — including Western states such as Hawaii, Oregon and Washington, where elections are held primarily or fully with mail ballots.

    Under the still-blocked USPS plan, which followed an executive order by Trump, states would have had to turn over lists of voters’ names and addresses and have certain specific barcodes on ballot envelopes in order to have them delivered by the mailing agency.

    Earlier this month, a federal judge in Boston issued a preliminary injunction against USPS, blocking it from imposing those new ballot requirements on states. The judge found the requirements are likely illegal because the Postal Service has no authority to control mail-in voting. A second federal judge issued another preliminary injunction late Sunday.

    Now, a majority of the Supreme Court decided to keep that injunction in place. The court said the Trump administration was unlikely to succeed on the merits of its challenge.

    Conservative Justice Brett Kavanaugh wrote a short concurring opinion, saying “there is at least a fair prospect that the final rule falls within the Postal Service’s statutory authority.” But, he added, “applying the rule in the 2026 elections would be arbitrary and capricious in violation of the Administrative Procedure Act because state and local election officials do not have sufficient time to reasonably implement the rule before the elections.”

    Indeed several Republican state election officials, including from the mostly vote-by-mail state of Utah, signed on to a Supreme Court brief, warning that any attempt to carry out the USPS plan now “will almost certainly lead to mistakes, delays, and confusion for both voters and election officials.”

    Conservative Justices Samuel Alito and Clarence Thomas dissented from the order, and would have granted the administration’s request to pause the Boston-based judge’s ruling.

    While the USPS plan remains paused for the midterms, the legal fight will likely continue over how the agency may try to implement it for future federal elections.

    For now, challengers of the proposal are celebrating their victory.

    “Today, the Supreme Court refused to allow the federal government to throw our elections into chaos just weeks before Election Day. The Postal Service exists to deliver Americans’ mail — not to rewrite election rules, demand voters’ personal information, or decide which ballots make it through the system,” Celina Stewart, CEO of the League of Women Voters, said in a statement.

    “Voters should never have to wonder whether a ballot they legally cast will be counted because the federal government suddenly changed the rules,” said  Letitia James, New York State Attorney General, whose state was among the 24 mainly Democratic-led states that sued alongside Washington, D.C. “We will keep fighting to make sure every eligible ballot is counted come November. Now, I encourage all eligible Americans to get out and vote — and vote early.”

    In a social media post on Tuesday, Trump blasted the Supreme Court’s ruling as “a big loss for Republicans.”

    “These are not the people I interviewed to serve on the United States Supreme Court, they are merely a shell of their original selves,” added Trump, who nominated Kavanaugh and fellow conservative Justices Neil Gorsuch and Amy Coney Barrett during his first term.

    Trump praised Alito and Thomas as “legends” for disagreeing with the court’s majority ruling.

    The president also made a baseless claim that the USPS plan was a “solution to our totally CORRUPT and out of control Mail-In voting ‘disaster.’ “

    Trump has previously said he issued the call for USPS to change its rule for mail ballots as a way to stop illegal voting by non-U.S. citizens, a problem that many studies and audits show is extremely uncommon. For this legal fight over the USPS plan, the administration’s lawyers have provided the courts with no evidence of mail-voting fraud.

    Trump has long been a vocal critic of the way about one-third of voters cast ballots in the last two federal elections. In 2024, the share of voters who reported casting ballots by mail was higher among Democrats (37%) than Republicans (24%), according to a national survey by the MIT Election Data and Science Lab.

    In a social media post last year, Trump said he is “going to lead a movement to get rid of MAIL-IN BALLOTS” and claimed that “ELECTIONS CAN NEVER BE HONEST WITH MAIL IN BALLOTS/VOTING.”

    This year, Trump himself voted by mail in Florida

  • Obama’s Blunt AI Warning to Democrats

    Obama’s Blunt AI Warning to Democrats

    By Phenix S Halley, The Root

    Former President Barack Obama has entered the chat on artificial intelligence, and his message to Democrats is blunt: the technology is moving fast, it’s moving in private hands, and the party has no real plan for any of it.

    At a private Democratic fundraiser, the former president pressed House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries and other Democrats to develop a strategy for artificial intelligence that addresses both the technology’s enormous potential and the risks that come with letting private companies race ahead without enough oversight.

    Obama said his concern is not that AI is inherently bad. It’s that politicians are moving slower than the technology.

    “This is something that is moving very fast in private hands, and if we don’t get on top of it, I think it can be dangerous,” Obama said, according to a transcript first reported by the New York Times.

    As The Root has previously reported,critics are concerned that the technology is advancing faster than regulations. AI isn’t a futuristic idea anymore. It has already changed the way businesses work. Companies are pouring billions into increasingly powerful AI systems while lawmakers are still trying to figure out some pretty basic questions:

    How safe is this stuff? What happens to people’s jobs? Who should be held accountable when something goes wrong? And what happens when a handful of companies end up controlling the technology everyone else depends on?

    The next few years will be critical, according to the former president. So his advice for anyone looking to run for president in 2028 is to start brainstorming ideas to tackle AI now.

    “If I were running for president next year, this would be one of my central agendas, and I would have a very clear plan,” he continued. “If we do get on top of it, I do think it’s beneficial.”

    Obama also acknowledged that AI could produce have a positive impact if policymakers can manage it. He pointed to the possibility that AI could accelerate drug development and help cure diseases, as reported by BBC.

    “We don’t want to shut off those opportunities, but we have to understand that this is a tool,” he said during the event.

    The Democratic Party has traditionally emphasized protecting workers and consumers from disruptive economic forces. But AI complicates that framework. It could transform employment, education, health care, entertainment and virtually every industry in between.

    At the same time, the Trump administration has increasingly framed AI policy around maintaining American technological dominance, particularly in competition with China, according to NPR. Democrats risk being defined as the party that wants to slow AI down unless they offer a real alternative.

    That’s the balancing act.

    Obama’s argument is ultimately a political one: Democrats need to explain what they want AI to do for ordinary Americans.

    Featured Image: Former U.S. President Barack Obama

  • Political analysis narrows GOP edge in Alabama’s 2nd Congressional District

    Political analysis narrows GOP edge in Alabama’s 2nd Congressional District

    By Wesley Walter, Alabama Political Reporter

    A nonpartisan political analysis shifted its projection for Alabama’s 2nd Congressional District on Thursday, projecting a smaller Republican advantage than previously reported.

    Sabato’s Crystal Ball analysis shifted its rating for CD2 from “Likely Republican” to “Leans Republican.”

    The district’s race between incumbent Representative Shomari Figures, D-Alabama, and Republican nominee and former Alabama Representative Rhett Marques has become a priority for national Republicans after the Alabama Legislature redrew the district in Republicans’ favor during its 2026 special session.

    While Sabato’s Crystal Ball maintained Marques’ edge in the CD2 race, the report highlighted previous DCCC polling that showed Figures tied with Marques while emphasizing Figures’ incumbent advantage and the likelihood of high Black voter turnout benefiting Figures.

    “Some publicly-released Democratic polls over the past few months found him effectively tied with state Rep. Rhett Marques (R); to us that still means Figures is an underdog (we generally interpret publicly-released internal polls to be rosy for the side that releases them), but Figures, as an incumbent, should get help from national Democrats,” the Sabato’s Crystal Ball analysis reads.

    “Additionally, Black turnout could be relatively strong across the South, partially in response to the Supreme Court’s Callais decision, which allowed Republicans to dismantle a few substantially Black, Democratic districts, including Figures’s old district. This new [district] is still about 40 percent Black, though,” the analysis added.

    CD2 was drawn in Democrats’ favor in 2023 by a federally appointed special master and cartographer after the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that the Legislature’s 2023 map diluted Black voting strength in the district. After the federally appointed map was implemented for the 2024 elections, Figures won the CD2 seat, marking the first time Alabama sent two Black representatives to Congress.

    The Legislature reverted to its 2023 map this year following the Supreme Court’s ruling in Louisiana v. Callais, which weakened provisions of the Voting Rights Act of 1965, and a subsequent Supreme Court ruling releasing the state from a mandate requiring federally drawn congressional maps through 2031.

    The ratings shift drew support from Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee leadership, which backed Figures’ campaign while criticizing Marques’ record on taxes as a state representative.

    “Multiple public polls make it clear: Shomari Figures can win this race. While Figures shows up and delivers for the people of Alabama, his opponent Rhett Marques has been supporting tax increases and policies that raise costs for working people,” DCCC spokesperson Eli Cousin said.

    “That clear contrast is why Congressman Figures is drawing support from Republicans, Democrats, and Independents in every corner of Alabama’s 2nd Congressional District as he builds the coalition needed to win in November.”

    Marques, meanwhile, has received endorsements from President Donald Trump and the National Republican Congressional Committee, which in August designated CD2 a priority seat for Republicans to flip in 2026.

    The Figures and Marques campaigns did not immediately respond to requests for comment on the analysis.

    Featured Image:  Former Alabama Representative Rhett Marques and Representative Shomari Figures (Alabama Political Reporter)

  • Who Gets To Stay Home? The Hidden Equity Math Of A New Child Care Rule

    Who Gets To Stay Home? The Hidden Equity Math Of A New Child Care Rule

    By Lenice C. Emanuel, MLA, NewsOne

    The Trump administration’s draft proposal to let married, single-income households draw from the Child Care and Development Fund (CCDF) is being framed by its architects as a matter of fairness, as an end to what Heritage Foundation policy writer Roger Severino calls discrimination against stay-at-home parents. But fairness is not a neutral concept when the pool of money being redistributed was never large enough to meet existing need. In a state like Alabama, where working parents are already being turned away, redirecting a portion of that same finite fund toward households that keep a parent home does not create a new benefit. It reallocates scarcity. And scarcity, once reallocated, tends to fall hardest on the families who had the least cushion to begin with, disproportionately Black families, single parents, unmarried couples, and kinship caregivers who do not fit the household model the rule rewards.

    A State Already Rationing Care

    This debate is not theoretical in Alabama. As of May 8, 2026, the Alabama Department of Human Resources began placing all new Child Care Assistance applications on a wait list, filling openings from that list on a first-come, first-served basis as slots become available, with only limited exceptions for foster care, protective services, and JOBS Program participants. This was less a new policy than the return of an old one: for nearly two decades before 2018, Alabama maintained a chronic subsidy waiting list because available funding could not meet demand, and at its 2017 peak more than 6,632 children were waiting, some for months or years. The reinstated waitlist follows a separate federal rule change, effective July 2026, that rescinded several 2024 protections and handed decisions like copay caps and provider payment methods back to individual states.

    Even in a typical, non-waitlisted year, the fund does not reach everyone who qualifies; roughly 30 percent of Alabama children eligible for subsidized care through the federal block grant actually receive it. Against that backdrop, the proposed federal rule would add a wholly new eligible population, married, single-income households, to a program Alabama cannot currently fund for the working parents it was built to serve. There is no version of that addition that does not mean longer waits or tighter rationing for the families already on the list.

    Whose Family Counts?

    The eligibility design at the center of this rule, married, with one spouse working at least 35 hours a week, does more than draw an income line. It draws a marital and structural line, and that line does not fall evenly across race, class, or family type.

    Nationally, the gap is stark: 64 percent of Black children live in single-parent families, compared with 24 percent of white children, according to 2023 Census data compiled by the Annie E. Casey Foundation. American Indian and Alaska Native children follow closely behind Black children, while Latino and multiracial children fall in between. In Alabama specifically, about 39 percent of children lived in single-parent families as of 2023, a rate high enough that a marriage-conditioned benefit excludes a large share of the state’s children outright, before race is even factored. Layer the national racial gap onto that Alabama baseline, and the practical effect becomes clear: a policy that channels new subsidy dollars specifically to married households will, as a matter of demographic math, direct more of that money toward white two-parent families and less toward Black families, even when both are equally low-income and equally in need of care.

    The married-couple requirement also excludes several other family structures common in Alabama. Unmarried parents, cohabiting or not, do not qualify, even if one stays home. LGBTQ+ families face a narrower and more uncertain path: a Heritage Foundation architect of the policy has suggested that married same-sex couples would likely qualify under existing Supreme Court precedent, but that assumes marriage in the first place, and it does nothing for LGBTQ+ parents who are unmarried, single, or navigating separate barriers around fostering, adoption, or legal parentage recognition. 

    And the rule offers nothing to the roughly 59,000 grandparents in Alabama who are fully responsible for raising their grandchildren, part of a broader 160,000 children living in relative-headed households statewide. These kinship caregivers are often older, on fixed incomes, and returning to work or caregiving roles they never planned for, circumstances that fall entirely outside a subsidy built around a working spouse and a stay-at-home spouse under one roof.

    In short, the rule does not simply value one parenting choice over another. It values one family structure, married, two-parent, one-income-capable, over the range of structures in which Alabama’s children actually live, most of which were never a matter of preference to begin with. On its face, this approach is short-sighted, harmful, and will yield no positive benefits. Policymakers should abandon this thinking, and people across the country should vocally oppose this choice.

    Lenice C. Emanuel is the Executive Director of the Alabama Institute for Justice.

     

    Featured Image: Mother playing with young son (BlackPressUSA Stock Photo)

  • Eutaw City Council meets to discuss contracts for city improvements

    Eutaw City Council meets to discuss contracts for city improvements

    By Maya Quinn, editor

    Eutaw City Council met for a regular session on September 8th, 2026, at 5:00 pm in City Hall. Mayor Corey Cockrell, administrators, and council members were present. Councilman Woodruff established decorum before the council entered an executive session for approximately fifteen minutes. The agenda was amended to include items 7 and 8 that were discussed during the executive session; no other decisions were made. 

    Mayor Cockrell began his report by thanking the councilmembers for their diligence and vigilance within their respective districts. He implored citizens to continue discouraging littering and “speak life into the city of Eutaw.” He reported that construction on City Hall’s roof is on schedule and the city’s workers are striving to ensure Eutaw is “looking good.” He also assured Councilmembers Valerie Watkins, Carrie Logan, and Lorenzo French that staff is working on locating the owners of properties in every district that violate Ordinance No. 2024-20-06 # 6: Ordinance Regulating Grass and Weed Nuisances, Accumulation of Rubbish, Abandoned and Inoperable Vehicles, Abandoned/Dilapidated Structures, and other Nuisances. Councilman French requested that they urgently start ticketing properties with hazardous debris. Councilwoman Watkins named a home on O’Neal Street in such condition. Property owners, business and residential, who reside outside of the city are still held liable. The ordinance will be reposted on greenecodemocrat.com along with enforcement procedures.

    Eutaw City Council met for a regular session on September 8th, 2026, at 5:00 pm in City Hall. Mayor Corey Cockrell, administrators, and council members were present. Councilman Woodruff established decorum before the council entered an executive session for approximately fifteen minutes. The agenda was amended to include items 7 and 8 that were discussed during the session; no other decisions were made.

    Mayor Cockrell began his report by thanking the councilmembers for their diligence and vigilance within their respective districts. He implored citizens to continue discouraging littering and “speak life into the city of Eutaw.” He reported that construction on City Hall’s roof is on schedule and the city’s workers are striving to ensure Eutaw is “looking good.” He also assured

    Councilmembers Valerie Watkins, Carrie Logan, and Lorenzo French that staff is working on locating the owners of properties in every district that violate Ordinance No. 2024-20-06 # 6: Ordinance Regulating Grass and Weed Nuisances, Accumulation of Rubbish, Abandoned and Inoperable Vehicles, Abandoned/Dilapidated Structures, and other Nuisances. Councilman French requested that they urgently start ticketing properties with hazardous debris. Councilwoman Watkins named a home on O’Neal Street in such condition. Property owners, business and residential, who reside outside of the city are still held liable. The ordinance will be reposted on greenecodemocrat.com along with enforcement procedures.

    During councilmember reports, Councilwoman Tracey Hunter asks citizens to keep Branch Heights uplifted in prayers, especially regarding the safety of their youth. Councilman Jonathan Woodruff complimented the work done on Robert Young Community Center’s Roof and reported that a meeting with the Finance Committee will be scheduled soon.


    The following agenda items were approved during the session

    1. Grover and Frazier General Contracting for Shutters to be installed at City Hall; racing commission funds will cover the amount agreed upon

    2. Revised Supplemental Loan #1 Application Form-Revised on August 17, 2026

    3. Quote from Red Clay Concrete Company LLC for National Guard Armory

    4. FY27 American Red Cross Campaign Pledge

    5. Registration, travel, and per diem for Councilwoman Watkins to attend NLC in Nashville, TN, November 19-22, 2026

    6. Payment of bills

    7. Approval for hazard mitigation plan as devised by the Greene County EMA

    8. Disciplinary hearing for Officer Chief Kendrick Howell

    During public comments, multiple citizens echoed concerns about big trucks damaging roads and road signs in their districts. Ms. Faye Tyree has observed trucks continuously passing through undesignated areas, creating holes in the asphalt. One citizen asked if the city will enforce designated areas for big truck traffic; no confirmation was given.

    John Cashin from the Eutaw Airport Authority Board also provided a progress update. The board is working to remedy the airport’s remaining two violations, resurfacing the runway and moving a beacon. Cashin is seeking permission to move the beacon and renovate a fire engine into a parade vehicle, as the land and vehicle are under city jurisdiction. Administrator Joe Powell explained that under the agreement between the board and the city, he would be allowed to do so using Airport Authority Board funds.

    The next city council meeting is scheduled for September 22, 2026, at 5:00 pm in City Hall and will be live on the City of Eutaw Facebook.

     

  • Alabama New South Coalition to hold Fall Convention in Montgomery on Saturday, September 26, 2026

    Alabama New South Coalition to hold Fall Convention in Montgomery on Saturday, September 26, 2026

    The Alabama New South Coalition (ANSC) will hold its  43rd Fall Convention on Saturday, September 26, 2026, at the RSA Activity Center, at 201 Dexter Avenue in Montgomery, Alabama, from 8:30 AM to 2:30 PM. Registration is $50 for members and non-members.

    The theme of the meeting is “ Building Bridges, Not Walls, Our Path to Freedom”. There will be workshops, final endorsement of candidates and amendments to be on the November 3, General Election ballot, election of ANSC state officers and other important business for the statewide Black and progressive voters’ organization.

    The luncheon speaker is slated to be the Honorable Kristen Clarke, former Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights, under President Obama, and currently General Counsel for the NAACP. She is a great speaker and will talk about the attacks on voting rights and what the response of organizations like ANSC and grassroots people should be to these attacks.

    There will be a workshop on the importance of voting, registering those over 18 that will be eligible to vote November 3, encouraging the participation of youth in voting and increasing turnout to show the power of the Black vote in statewide, Congressional and multi-county races.

    Hank Sanders, President Emeritus of ANSC said, “These are critical times for our country, our state and our Alabama New South Coalition. We are all working on making our country and our state better places to live, despite challenges from the President and Congress.

    We are also working to make our ANSC stronger, so it will help to make our country and state stronger. We invite you and need you to come and participate in this convention. We need you to encourage others in your community and county to attend. A strong Alabama New South Coalition is absolutely necessary to deal with these terrible and dangerous times.”

    Sylvia Fitts, ANSC Board Chair said, “ We must remember that every issue is a voting issue. Bring your local issues and concerns to this convention so ANSC can plan to work on them before and continuing after November 3rd.”

    Garria Spencer, Greene County ANSC Chapter President announced that the local chapter would be meeting on Thursday, September 17 at 5:00 PM, at Sandra Walkers office, to prepare for the Fall Convention and select delegates to the convention.

    If you need additional information on the ANSC Fall Convention, contact Shelley Fearson, State Coordinator at 334-262-0932.

  • Dancy announces write-in campaign for District 5 School Board Seat

    Dancy announces write-in campaign for District 5 School Board Seat

    I, Carrie Dancy, am launching my write-in campaign for District 5 School Board Seat, for the November 3, 2026 General Election. I am a longtime servant of Greene County and a former member of the Greene County Board of Education, District 5. During my years of service, I worked alongside educators, families, students, and community members with a commitment to strengthening the local school system and advocating for students.

    After coming within 47 votes of retaining my seat, I am still committed. I will remain engaged in the community and continue my interest in the future of Greene County schools.

    I understand the unique opportunities and challenges facing a rural school community. My focus remains on students, supporting educators, listening to families, and contributing to thoughtful decisions that help move Greene County schools forward.

    I am a candidate with a history of service, a connection to the community, and a continued commitment to the children and families of Greene County, and I will continue to stand for our community. I ask that you write-in Carrie Dancy on voting day, November 3, 2026. I bring my experience, knowledge, and years of service on the Greene County School Board for District 5.

    United We Stand, Divided We Fall. We need your support

  • Sewell blasts SCOTUS ruling clearing path for mail-in voting reforms

    Sewell blasts SCOTUS ruling clearing path for mail-in voting reforms

    By Staff, Alabama Political Reporter

    U.S. Representative Terri Sewell, D-Alabama, spoke out  last Tuesday against a U.S. Supreme Court decision that opened a path for mail-in voting restrictions sought by the Trump administration to take effect ahead of the November midterm elections.

    The Supreme Court ruled 6-3 on Monday that 23 states and the District of Columbia lacked standing to challenge President Donald Trump’s executive order. The court did not rule on the legality of the order itself. 

    The order directs the Department of Homeland Security to create state-by-state lists of U.S. citizens and directs federal authorities to prioritize investigations and prosecutions involving election officials who provide federal ballots to people who are not eligible to vote. It also directs the U.S. Postal Service to implement new requirements for mail-in ballots, including limiting delivery to voters included on state-submitted lists. 

    States challenging the order argued that the Constitution gives states and Congress authority over federal elections and that the president’s directives could disrupt election administration. Litigation over the order remains ongoing, and lower-court rulings could still affect whether its provisions take effect before the November election

    Sewell, in a Tuesday written statement, argued that the executive order is an attempt by the Trump administration to restrict legal avenues for voting.

    “President Trump is terrified of losing at the ballot box in November. He knows his policies are raising costs and hurting families, so instead of changing course, he is trying to change the rules to make it harder for Americans to vote,” Sewell said.

    “It is shameful that the Supreme Court would allow these restrictions to proceed—especially when we know that voting by mail is safe, secure, and used by millions of Americans, including President Trump himself,” Sewell said. “With just weeks left until the midterm elections, this decision will cause chaos and confusion for voters across the nation.”

    Sewell vowed to continue opposing Trump administration efforts to restrict mail-in voting. “As a daughter of Selma and the top Democrat on the Elections Subcommittee, I will not stand for these attacks on the ballot,” Sewell said. “I will keep fighting to protect the right to vote and ensure every eligible American can make their voice heard.”

    The Supreme Court’s decision does not immediately change voting procedures nationwide. The administration and states remain engaged in litigation over implementation of the executive order, including Postal Service rules governing mail ballots.

    Another lawsuit was filed by state Attorney Generals and others, immediately after the Supreme Court’s decision, since the U. S. Postal Service has now released its notice of changes in handling mail-in ballots, including their review against lists provided by the Federal government.

    The executive order has also drawn opposition from American Postal Workers Union President Jonathan Smith, who has described the administration’s approach as an effort to politicize the Postal Service.

    In July, a group of Republican attorneys general led by Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall issued a letter supporting the administration’s proposed Postal Service rules, arguing they would “help states provide Americans with confidence in our system.”

  • Doug Jones, Shomari Figures push voting rights at Troy town hall

    Doug Jones, Shomari Figures push voting rights at Troy town hall

    By Alabama Political Reporter, Staff

    Democratic gubernatorial nominee Doug Jones joined U.S. Representative Shomari Figures, D-Alabama, last week for a town hall at Troy University, where the two candidates took questions from students, community members and voters ahead of the November election.

    The event, hosted by the Troy University College Democrats and Pike County Democrats, focused heavily on congressional redistricting and the continuing fight over Black voting power in Alabama.

    Alabama’s 2026 congressional elections are proceeding under the Legislature’s 2023 map after the U.S. Supreme Court stayed a lower-court injunction in June. The order followed the court’s April decision in Louisiana v. Callais, which changed the legal standard governing discriminatory-effect vote-dilution claims under Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act.

    The decision restored the Republican-drawn 2023 plan and displaced the court-ordered map used during the 2024 election. That remedial map established a second Black-opportunity district following the Supreme Court’s 2023 decision in Allen v. Milligan.

    Figures won the reconfigured 2nd Congressional District in 2024, joining U.S. Representative Terri Sewell, D-Alabama, as Alabama’s two Black members of Congress. He is now seeking reelection against Republican state Representative Rhett Marques under dramatically different district lines.

    Both Figures and Jones argued Tuesday that the new district remains competitive. A DCCC-sponsored poll released this week showed Figures and Marques tied at 46 percent, with 8 percent of voters undecided.

    Jones said reaching voters in parts of Alabama where Democrats have not competed consistently represents an opportunity for candidates heading into November.

    “We are moving into areas that Democrats haven’t gone in a while. That’s why we’re doing these town halls,” Jones said. “We are not just going out trying to preach to the choir. We’re talking to people, and we’re listening to people. That’s the critical piece.”

    Holding the town hall in Pike County carried additional significance. Civil rights leader and longtime Georgia congressman John Lewis was born and raised near Troy, earning him the enduring nickname “the Boy from Troy.” His nephew, Ron Lewis, was among those attending Tuesday’s event.

    Figures also pointed to what he described as growing enthusiasm surrounding Jones’ campaign and argued that energy at the top of the Democratic ticket could help candidates across the state.

    “Doug Jones is running one of the most exciting and inspiring campaigns that we have seen for governor in recent memory,” Figures said. “And that energy is what’s going to lead the top of the ticket in November. And I am thrilled to stand in the winner’s circle with you in November.”

    The joint appearance highlighted the candidates’ strategy of expanding Democratic outreach beyond the party’s traditional base and increasing turnout in communities that have often received little attention during statewide campaigns.

    Featured Image: U.S. Representative Shomari Figures and gubernatorial candidate Doug Jones host a town hall in Pike County. (Alabama Political Reporter)