For the second time in a matter of months, U.S. Rep. Shomari Figures (D-Mobile) has been caught red-handed claiming credit for funding he actually voted against on the floor of the U.S. House of Representatives.
A new campaign mailer paid for by the State Democratic Executive Committee of Alabama and authorized by Figures’ congressional campaign boasts that Figures has “secured nearly $20 million for Alabama communities” since taking office.
That’s a slight inflation of the “nearly $18 million” his campaign website claims Figures has secured in the same timespan.
An article by WSFA states that Figures is including two Montgomery area projects in that total: The Alabama Capital Maxwell Gateway Project and the Montgomery Regional Tech and Innovation Ecosystem Initiative. Together, the projects total $3.65 million in federal funding appropriated by H.R.7148, the Consolidated Appropriations Act for the remainder of Fiscal Year 2026.
This legislation passed the House 217-214, with Figures voting “Nay,” on February 3, 2026.
The rest of the state’s House delegation, including Alabama’s other Democratic member of the House, Congresswoman Terri Sewell (D-Birmingham), voted “Yea.”
However, Figures’ official congressional office on March 10, 2026, sent out a press release claiming he secured that same funding he voted against. He even held a press conference the same day to announce the funding with Montgomery Mayor Steven Reed and Montgomery County Commissioner Carmen Moore-Zeigler.
“Investing in the River Region strengthens our ability to compete for more economic development opportunities,” Figures said at the time. “That is why securing over $3 million in funding for these community projects matters. I’m committed to doing everything I can to bring real resources back to the District to help support local efforts to improve our communities.”
Montgomery County also put out its own version of the same press release giving Figures credit for the funding he voted against. Neither release admits that U.S. Senator Katie Britt (R-Montgomery) requested the Congressionally Directed Spending funding for the Montgomery Regional Tech and Innovation Ecosystem Initiative while U.S. Senator Tommy Tuberville (R-Auburn) requested the Congressionally Directed Spending funding for the Alabama Capital Maxwell Gateway Project.
Unlike Figures, Britt and Tuberville voted for the funding.
Yellowhammer News did additional analysis of H.R.7148 to see what other funding for his own district Figures voted against.
In total, that one bill alone included $39.4 million in Congressionally Directed Spending for Alabama’s Second Congressional District, comprised of the below projects:
| Project | Recipient | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Boll Weevil Circle and SR-167 Project (Enterprise) | ALDOT | $15,680,000 |
| Aerospace and Aerotechnology Program (Tuskegee) | Tuskegee University | $5,290,000 |
| Critical repairs, Dothan Courthouse | Dothan Courthouse | $5,000,000 |
| Surgical robot procurement and installation | City of Enterprise | $3,000,000 |
| Infrastructure improvements on airport property | Enterprise Airport | $2,355,000 |
| Alabama Capital Maxwell Gateway Project | City of Montgomery | $2,000,000 |
| Montgomery Regional Tech & Innovation Ecosystem Initiative Hub | City of Montgomery | $1,650,000 |
| Public safety firefighting equipment (Abbeville) | City of Abbeville | $1,500,000 |
| Equipment for mobile care clinics (Montgomery) | Faulkner University | $1,305,000 |
| Runway rehabilitation | Montgomery Regional Airport | $1,145,000 |
| Surgical and laboratory equipment (Eufaula) | Health Care Authority of the City of Eufaula | $500,000 |
| Total | $39,425,000 |
Yellowhammer News reached out to both Figures and his opponent, State Rep. Rhett Marques (R-Enterprise). Figures did not respond by press time.
“It’s no wonder Shomari Figures is lying about his record. He knows that Alabama voters won’t be happy with the truth,” Marques said. “The truth is that Shomari Figures has sold out Alabamians at every turn, voting with AOC and Nancy Pelosi against our interests and values.”
“Not only has he voted against tens of millions of dollars for roads, airports, law enforcement, firefighting, education, and healthcare across Alabama’s Second Congressional District, Shomari voted against the Farm Bill, against the Stop Insider Trading Act, and against pay increases for our brave men and women in uniform.
“Simply put — the ads he and his socialist friends are running on TV don’t tell the truth about Shomari’s crazy voting record,” Marques concluded.
Grayson Everett is the editor in chief of Yellowhammer News. You can follow him on X @Grayson270.
