Auman4Alabama

The 80%+ turnout is mostly a result of a low Democratic turnout in 2016 and a very high number of voters registering to vote solely so they could vote for Trump. I meet this later category of voters every day. They are not Republicans, they are voters who feel left behind and are ready to see a change, no matter what party the change candidate is from. I've had a lot of success here. Being a political outsider is a strength in an area as anti-establishment as this one.

One reason he hasn't had a challenger is that the Democratic Party of Alabama spends almost no resources recruiting candidates or building a bench. Many winnable seats have been left of the table, unfortunately. Even now, with a strong slate of candidates and a great number of women running, Democratic candidates in Alabama are running largely without the help of a state party.

We are relying mostly on small donations. As of today we have only taken money from one PAC and it was a $500 donation.

Hi! I was in Vernon just last night. Voters in counties like Lamar, Fayette, and Marion are still reeling from the decline of the textile industry and have faced the possibility of the hospitals nearest them closing. They’re also some of the fastest to say that they haven’t seen Aderholt and don’t know anything that he’s done for them. My response to that is simple: I’m here now and I’ll be here after I’m elected.

Something conservative voters in particular should know is how I plan to work with Republicans and the president. Infrastructure and job creation are a great example. People are really concerned about long term gainful employment in rural areas like District 4, and they have really responded well to my ideas about increasing our federal investment in infrastructure to create jobs. Currently the states are left to cover about 80% of all infrastructure costs. When they have to balance their budgets at the end of the fiscal year, too often their infrastructure projects are put on the backburner. Congress should prioritize infrastructure and increase its investment to alleviate some of the burden from the states.

Also, infrastructure means more than roads, bridges, and highways. It means universal broadband and utilities also. Infrastructure is one of those fields where there is always work to be done, and if we can create jobs there then we can create the types of jobs that will remain even through economic recessions.

“Prison reform” is a part of a larger, broken system. The first thing I want to say is that I will act according to what is best for the people, unlike my opponent, who takes $$ from for-profit corrections corporations.

To reform an extremely costly and broken criminal justice system, we need to focus on keeping people out of jail and prison. I do not support mandatory minimums. I believe that too many people end up stuck in the criminal justice system because they were unable to make bond. Both of these problems can be addressed by Congress. I will work together with states to ensure that prisons are safe places for those who end up there, with a focus on rehabilitation and reintegration rather than just punishment. We need to lower recidivism rates and encourage people to build their lives after they’ve served their time.

The biggest? I’m supposed to say money, but really it’s how disillusioned voters are after not being heard for so long. It’s hard to convince someone that their vote really does matter when the establishments of both parties have shown them for so long that they don’t care.

No. Term limits sound great until you think about the increasing role lobbyists and those who can afford them will play in our government. I get the intent, but I think the unintended consequences would leave us worse off. Ending partisan redistricting and removing obstacles to the ballot box are the types of reforms here I want to work toward.