I try really hard to keep the personal and the political separate in my life. But I feel compelled in these last few days before the election to talk about Doug Jones, as a political candidate, but first, as my father. I don’t know if this will matter to anyone, but it matters to me, so here goes.

My grandmother loved to tell the story of him spinning on his heels in the hospital the moment I was born. Two full circles! She said she had never seen him do that before or since. For a lot of my life he was a single dad, and he worked really hard to give me a good life. He put me in a great school system, he made sure I had everything I needed to succeed, and he has supported me and encouraged me in every endeavor, even if he didn’t understand it.

When I was 5, he won me a giant teddy bear at the state fair (he is weirdly really good at those carnival games that are supposed to be impossible to win). I named that bear Dougie and have taken him with me everywhere I’ve lived as my emotional support animal. (Dougie now lives in my children’s playroom, and he still gets lots of hugs.) He coached my friends and me in softball and basketball – for what it’s worth, he was an excellent coach.

We often spent Sunday afternoons at the ballpark fielding balls or in the driveway shooting baskets. I wasn’t an amazing athlete, which I realize now wasn’t the point. He just wanted to spend time with me…even after I got good enough to beat him in HORSE. When I was 10, he took me to a Rolling Stones concert with a bunch of his friends, and he brought my glove so we could play catch during the tailgate. When I told him I wanted to go live in Africa for six months in my 20s, he used the frequent flyer miles he had saved up for years to send me to Botswana.

He protected me when I needed him to. He also let me learn from my mistakes. And he was always there for me. There is nothing like a father’s love, and I am lucky to have a lot of it.

I will be honest, when he called to tell me he was thinking about running for governor, I begged him not to. I told him he had already done plenty for Alabama and to just bask in his amazing legacy of justice and courage. But he is nothing if not a courageous optimist, and I realize now there was no stopping him. As I’ve watched this campaign grow and his message spread, it is clear that he has a lot more to give this state, and I’d love to give him that opportunity.

I don’t think being a good dad qualifies you to run a state, though qualifications appear to be arbitrary these days. That said, I do think he would make a great governor. I could talk about his policy ideas and actual plans to help our state. I could tell you that the attacks against him are mostly lies, many of them quite bizarre. But what I really want you to know is that he is one of the good guys. As much as I try to separate Doug Jones my father and Doug Jones the politician, I’m often struck by how difficult that is. He is who he is – at home, on the campaign trail, always. He is the most principled person I know; he does what he knows to be right even when it is hard and unpopular. If he believes in something, he will fight for it. I genuinely think all he really wants is to shake hands with every single person in this state and ask them what their struggles are and how he can help them.

After Dad gave his farewell speech on the Senate floor, I watched a tearful Richard Shelby practically jump out of his seat to talk about what a great friend and leader Dad was and how much he enjoyed working with him and how proud he was of what they accomplished together for the people of Alabama.

I can affirm that my dad loves this state and the people here more than almost anything. He has lived in Alabama his entire life, as did his parents and their parents. That crowded table he talks about, his vision for Alabama – he comes by it honestly. Growing up in Fairfield, the son of a conservative steelworker and a liberal(ish) homemaker, his table and his home were constantly full of people and ideas and love and laughter. That is the energy we need in Alabama right now; I can feel myself and so many others being drawn to it.

You may not agree with him on everything, but no one can deny that he has worked tirelessly these past few months to earn your vote. He has gone all over this state, to towns that no politician has visited in 50 plus years. I’m honestly amazed at the campaign he and his team have run and the hope he has brought to so many, just by showing up and listening. He deserves to win, that much is clear.

But whatever happens on November 3, Doug Jones will always be my father and my hero. I love you, Dad, and I am so, so proud of you.

Courtney Andrews is Doug Jones’ daughter.