Congressional hopefuls Shomari Figures and Caroleene Dobson engaged in a heated debate as they vie to represent Alabama’s 2nd Congressional District. The contentious debate, sponsored by AARP Alabama and hosted by Al.com, saw the two candidates exchanging verbal jabs on issues ranging from abortion and immigration to the economy.
Figures, a Democrat, and Dobson, a Republican, clashed over their backgrounds and their ability to tackle the issues facing the district. Dobson repeatedly referred to Figures as a “Washington insider,” while Figures portrayed Dobson as being out of touch with working families due to her background in real estate law.
The candidates also sparred over immigration policy, with Figures emphasizing the need for reform without fearmongering and sharing a personal story about his wife’s parents immigrating from Haiti. Dobson criticized the Biden administration’s handling of border security and expressed concerns about a bipartisan Senate deal to boost immigration processing.
Their differences over abortion were stark, with Figures advocating for a woman’s right to choose and Dobson supporting a pro-life stance with exceptions for rape, incest, and the life of the pregnant woman. The candidates also discussed the economy, with Dobson blaming the Biden administration for rising prices and Figures defending the administration’s policies to address economic struggles post-COVID.
Both candidates agreed on the need to address rural healthcare and the closure of rural hospitals, but differed on the importance of Medicaid expansion. Figures urged Alabama to expand Medicaid to cover more low-income residents, while Dobson emphasized the need for creating economic opportunities in these communities.
The debate highlighted the clear contrasts between the two candidates and their approaches to the issues facing Alabama’s 2nd Congressional District. Voters will have to weigh these differences as they head to the polls in November.
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