Matthews, a resident of Ozark, highlighted his background at the Department of Agriculture—where he worked on rural development and the Farm Service Agency—as the foundation for his campaign. He argued that his hands-on experience allows him to identify specific areas for cutting government waste and effectively addressing critical infrastructure needs that other candidates may overlook.

The Coleman Nexus: Key municipal officials—most notably Josh Coleman, who serves as Deputy Director of Social Justice and Racial Equity in the Mayor’s Office while maintaining leadership over Blueprint Alabama PAC, co-leading Iron City Communications, and holding political party roles—occupy dual positions spanning official public authority and private political operations.

Critiquing the long-standing Democratic representation in the heavily Democratic district, Perry argued that current policies have failed to generate adequate growth or address systemic issues like poverty and crime. If elected, he aims to secure influential committee assignments in transportation and criminal justice to directly channel resources and reform

The journey to the primary ballot has been anything but straightforward for Harris. Due to rapid legal shifts and legislative redraws surrounding Alabama’s congressional map, Harris explained that he had to re-qualify for the district three separate times as federal court rulings shifted the boundaries back and forth. Despite the logistical confusion, Harris noted that his campaign never paused its outreach, generating strong momentum and raising over $220,000 to fund his mes