Republicans say they believe they can flip a newly drawn, majority-Black district in Alabama, Punchbowl News said.
Democrat Shomari Figures will be facing off against Republican Caroleene Dobson in Alabama's 2nd Congressional District, which is 51% black and voted for President Joe Biden by 12 points in 2020. The Cook Political Report said the new seat "virtually guarantees a Democratic pickup" after the map was drawn.
"They drew it for a Democrat, but they got a fairly weak Democrat," Rep. Richard Hudson, R-N.C., the head of the National Republican Congressional Committee, told Punchbowl News. "Caroleene Dobson's really impressive."
While the Cook Political Report still rates the seat as likely Democrat, Hudson said to Punchbowl that Republicans just need a few Black voters to back Dobson, to make the seat competitive.
Dobson was raised on an Alabama cattle farm before attending Harvard and now works as a real estate attorney. Figures previously worked as Attorney General Merrick Garland's deputy chief of staff and her mother serves in the state Senate.
Dobson has outraised Figures and has a $170,000 cash-on-hand advantage. With concerns about Biden's candidacy, Hudson told Punchbowl News that even districts that went for Biden by double digits in 2020 are in play.
A spokesman for the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee dismissed Hudson's bullish claims.
"Is anyone surprised Richard Hudson wants another abortion banning, Project 2025 loving, Freedom Caucus wannabe to join the GOP Conference?" DCCC spokesperson Justin Chermol said in a statement to Punchbowl.
Sam Barron ✉
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