With control of Congress potentially at stake, Republican Rhett Marques and Democratic Rep. Shomari Figures offer competing approaches to taxes, jobs, education, immigration, health care and rising living costs. A closer examination of their records reveals what each has accomplished, where they disagree and what their policies could mean for Alabama families.
MONTGOMERY, Ala. | Voters across Alabama’s 2nd Congressional District face a consequential choice in the Nov. 3 midterm election as Republican state Rep. Rhett Marques challenges Democratic U.S. Rep. Shomari Figures in a race that could help determine which party controls the U.S. House of Representatives.
Beyond party affiliation and campaign advertisements, the contest presents voters with competing visions for economic growth, taxation, education, immigration enforcement, health care and the cost of living.
Figures, an attorney and former Justice Department official elected to Congress in 2024, emphasizes federal investment in infrastructure, rural hospitals, education, workforce development and programs designed to improve economic opportunities in underserved communities.
Both candidates say they want to make Alabama more prosperous. Their differences center on how government should achieve that goal, which programs should receive public funding and what responsibilities Washington should assume.
The race has become increasingly competitive. The University of Virginia’s Center for Politics moved its assessment to a toss-up on Oct. 27, reflecting the potential for either candidate to win despite the district’s more Republican-leaning boundaries.
