President Donald Trump is scheduled to hold a campaign rally in Mobile on October 2 at the Mitchell Center, as Alabama Republicans voice concerns regarding voter turnout. Recent polling by the Economist and YouGov indicates that while Trump remains broadly popular among 2024 voters, he is broadly unpopular across Alabama despite securing nearly 65% of the state's votes in 2024. These findings coincide with Republican expressions of concern over potential apathy among the party's voters.
The upcoming rally will take place in Alabama’s 1st Congressional District, which the Cook Political Report rates as solidly Republican. Jerry Carl, the Republican nominee for this district, expressed his anticipation for the event. In a social media post on Friday morning, Carl wrote that it would be a “great honor” to host Trump, encouraging residents to “come out to hear directly from our President and show our support!” Carl will face Democratic nominee Clyde Jones, Jr., in the general election this November.
The 1st Congressional District is adjacent to the 2nd Congressional District, where the race between incumbent U.S. Rep. Shomari Figures, a Democrat, and Republican nominee Rhett Marques is considered more competitive, though it leans Republican following redistricting earlier this year.
Concerns about voter engagement have been a recurring theme. Jerry Carl was elected in a special primary election in August, where candidates across the four congressional districts expressed worries about low voter turnout. Average turnout for these special primary elections was approximately 5%. Speaking on Friday morning, Clyde Jones, Jr., the Democratic nominee, agreed that turnout is a concern but suggested Trump’s appearance “likely will not help.” Jones stated, “This administration has, they have really done nothing to help the everyday person,” and emphasized, “We all should be concerned about voter turnout. It’s been extremely low here in Alabama across the board.”
However, Jack Burns, a spokesman for the Carl campaign, offered a different perspective on Friday morning. In a text message, Burns predicted significantly higher turnout in November compared to August and asserted that Trump will “100% have a massive positive influence on voter turnout.” Burns added, “Trump loves Alabama and Alabama loves Trump.”
U.S. Rep. Barry Moore, a Republican representing Enterprise who received Trump's endorsement for the U.S. Senate, also weighed in. In a statement Friday, Moore said Trump would “energize conservatives” for the general election. Moore stated, “Thanks to his administration, we are stopping the indoctrination of our children, standing strong on the world stage, and defeating the Radical Democrats. His rally will be the jet fuel we need to win big in Alabama.” U.S. Sen. Tommy Tuberville, the party’s nominee for governor and another Trump-endorsed candidate, did not provide further comment beyond a brief social media post from his campaign.
This marks a return to Mobile for President Trump, who held his first stadium-size rally for his 2016 presidential campaign in the city in August 2015.
