Becoming an Informed Voter 1
Becoming an Informed Voter
Amanda N. Rhodes
Helms School of Government, Liberty University
Govt 220:D04
Professor Jennifer Holmquist
April 18, 2022
Becoming an Informed Voter 2
Becoming an Informed Voter
State of Alabama
The voting history in the State of Alabama has strongly been influenced by the Civil
Rights movement of the 1960’s. Martin Luther King so famously led the Montgomery bus
boycott after Rosa Parks refused her seat to a white passenger. (Cohen et al., 2019, p.38). While
that movement was strong, so was George Wallace’s opposition, which continued until the
1980’s. George Wallace caused Alabama to lose economy with his open oppositions, and caused
several to leave the state all together due to the turmoil. Alabama’s economy was able to bounce
back by way of the automotive industry, which continues to grow today.
Alabama is the home of manufacturing plants for Mercedes, Honda and Hyundai. All of
which created jobs and an economy boost to the neighboring towns. Alabama’s economy
continued to grow by acquiring contracts in aerospace and aviation. For example, Mobile,
Alabama is home to Airbus which was the United States’ first assembly plant for A320 aircrafts.
(Cohen et al., 2019, p. 38).
From 1877 until 1964 Alabama was primarily a Democratic state. In 1964, Alabama won
five of Alabama’s eight Congressional seats and the state voted for GOP candidate, Barry
Goldwater. This is known today in the state as “The Goldwater Landslide” and was the
beginning of the Republican Party dominating the South. (Flowers, 2020). In the 2020 election,
Alabama won six of the seven Congressional seats and voted majority Republican with Donald
Trump receiving 62.2% of the vote to Joe Biden receiving only 36.7%. (Alabama | elections
2020).
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There was push back during the recent Census data collection, so that could eventually
result in a loss of another Congressional seat. As stated previously, Alabama once held nine seats
and we are now hold seven. That is a drastic decline if you look at the bigger picture.
1st Congressional District of Alabama
The 1 Congressional District of Alabama consists of Mobile, Baldwin, Washington,
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Escambia and Monroe counties in their entirety, as well as part of Clarke County, Alabama.
(Census.gov, 2020). These counties have had a firm Republican leaning for many years, and
showed no different in the 2020 elections. This seat has been held by a Republican for the past
twenty give years.
Each county plays a part in the state’s economy. Mobile and Baldwin County are the
largest in the district and have significantly helped the economy in not only their own counties,
but the state as a whole. Mobile has brought in state revenue and thousands of jobs, by receiving
the Airbus contract, as well as Austal which is a shipbuilding facility. Mobile also has a large
tourism rate by currently housing the Carnival Ecstasy, which will retire after this year, and
Carnival will then send the Spirit in its place. (City of Mobile, 2022). Baldwin County has a
large agribusiness presence with peanut, cotton and strawberry crops. Baldwin County is also
well known as being a hot spot for tourist with its beaches in Gulf Shores and Orange Beach,
Alabama.
In 2020, a business man, and Mobile native, named Jerry Carl won the 1 Congressional
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District of Alabama. Prior to his win the district representative was Bradley Byrne, also a Mobile
native and a member of the Republican Party, who chose not to run for reelection in an attempt
to run for U.S. Senate.
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Representative of the 1 Congressional District of Alabama
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Jerry Carl is a member of the Republican Party and is currently serving his first term as
the congressman in the Alabama’s 1 District. He is from Mobile, Alabama where he did not
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come from a background of politics, instead he was an entrepreneur. Congressman Carl worked
in anything from real estate to manufacturing church furniture. Prior to running for congress,
Carl ran for County Commissioner in Mobile County and won his district. (About Jerry, 2020).
Carl also served as President of the Mobile County Commission in the term 2015-2016 and then
again in 2019-2020. (Bioguide, 2022). He give credit to his son, who is a U.S. Marine, for
leaving the business world and going into politics. He stated “I watched my son being deployed
to Afghanistan and sitting around kind of figuring what I've ever done to equal what this 20-year-
old kid was about to do, and came up empty”. (Olson, 2020).
Jerry Carl being freshly appointed to this office, has not been shy regarding voicing his
stance on being a Christian. Carl actively spoke, after being elected, regarding the pandemic and
getting churches and schools opened and people back to work. Carl currently has a not been
rated by the American’s for Democratic Action, American Conservative Union nor the Christian
Coalition yet. Carl’s rating with the Family Research Council is at 96% and his rating with the
American Civil Liberties Union is at 11%. (votesmart.org, 2022). Based on these ratings, he
would be classified as conservative. During his campaign he promised to do what he could to
strengthen our military programs, and protect natural resources. So far, he has introduced
H.R.2131 – Gulf Conservation and Recreation Funding Act. (Congress.gov, 2021)
Carl also focused his campaign around God and his Christian beliefs, proving to the
people of Alabama’s 1 Congressional District that he was a man of God. As God’s Word states,
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“This is a true saying, if a man desire the office of a bishop, he desireth a good work”. ”. (King
James Bible, 2008, 1 Timothy 3:1). Carl, thus far, has stuck to his promises and is trying to do
good work.
Senator of Alabama
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References
Cohen, Richard E., et al. The Almanac of American Politics 2020, Columbia Books Incorporated,
Publishers, 2019. ProQuest Ebook Central,
http://ebookcentral.proquest.com/lib/liberty/detail.action?docID=5853313
FOX News Network. (n.d.). . Fox News. Retrieved fromAlabama | elections 2020
https://www.foxnews.com/elections/2020/general-results/state/alabama
Flowers, S. (2020, November 4). Opinion: Alabama is truly a Republican state. Alabama
Political Reporter. Retrieved from
https://www.alreporter.com/2020/11/04/opinion-alabama-is-truly-a-republican-state/
Index of /geo/maps/cong_dist/CD113/cd_based/ST01. (n.d.). Retrieved from
https://www2.census.gov/geo/maps/cong_dist/cd113/cd_based/ST01/
Carnival Cruise Line returns to cruising from mobile with Carnival Ecstasy. City of Mobile.
(2022, March 5). Retrieved from
https://www.cityofmobile.org/city-updates/carnival-cruise-line-returns-to-cruising-from-
mobile-with-carnival-ecstasy/
About jerry. Jerry Carl for Congress. (n.d.). Retrieved from
https://jerrycarlforcongress.com/about/
Bioguide search. (n.d.). Retrieved from
https://bioguide.congress.gov/search/bio/C001054
The voter's Self Defense System. Vote Smart. (n.d.). Retrieved from
https://justfacts.votesmart.org/candidate/evaluations/143749/jerry-carl
H.R.2131 - 117th Congress (2021-2022): Gulf Conservation and Recreation Funding Act. (2021,
May 27).
https://www.congress.gov/bill/117th-congress/house-bill/2131
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King James Bible. (2008) Oxford University Press. (Original work published 1769)
