In a hard-hitting campaign announcement dropped Monday morning, Jessica Taylor takes “shooting your shot” both literally and figuratively as she officially enters the race for Alabama’s 2nd congressional district. A local businesswoman and attorney, Taylor is the first woman to declare for the seat that is being vacated by Republican Representative Martha Roby. Roby, who has represented the district since 2010, announced earlier this year that she would not run for re-election.

The ad gives a brief overview of Taylor’s history – after earning both her bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Jacksonville State University, she went to work in the Governor’s Office, working on faith-based and community initiatives. While there, she earned her law degree from the Thomas Goode Jones School of Law. In 2010, she left the office to start her own business aimed at assisting nonprofits in navigating government regulations. She lives in Prattsville, AL with her husband and three children. 

She has held various volunteer positions in her community, including president of the River Region Pregnancy Center, a group dedicated to supporting pregnant women. Taylor touts her conservative values in the video and pledges to defend life, the 2nd Amendment, our borders, and our military, among others. She voices her frustration with socialists in D.C. who don’t understand the way of life in Alabama, even going as far as calling out U.S. Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. 

In the ad, she sets herself against her basketball background – most of her monologue is filmed on a basketball court and her final statement is punctuated by nailing an over-the-back lob into the basket. She ties her high school basketball “squad” to the fact that we need a conservative female squad in Washington to counterbalance “The Squad” already in D.C.

The Cook Political Report rates this district as R+16. The winner of the primary will likely make it through the general election. Taylor is entering a crowded primary, with five others already declared. However, this district will probably look a little different after the 2020 census, since Alabama will more than likely lose a congressional seat.

Jillian K
CABINET