Multiple sources with direct knowledge on Wednesday confirmed to Yellowhammer News that State Rep. Will Dismukes (R-Prattville) is dropping out of the race to succeed U.S. Rep. Martha Roby (R-Montgomery) in Alabama’s Second Congressional District.
Dismukes has not qualified for the race and on Wednesday moved to dismantle his campaign organization and began informing close supporters and friends that he will end his candidacy.
This leaves businesswoman Jessica Taylor as the only candidate from Autauga County in the race and comes after former Business Council of Alabama chairman Jeff Coleman held his official campaign kickoff Tuesday evening in Dothan. Both have qualified, as has former Alabama Attorney General Troy King.
Former State Rep. Barry Moore (R-Enterprise) has announced a bid for the seat but has yet to qualify.
At the end of the third quarter, Dismukes reported having $7,659 left cash-on-hand after raising $14,693 in Q3.
Update 2:30 p.m.:
Dismukes sent a statement to Yellowhammer News confirming that he is withdrawing from the race effective immediately.
Full statement as follows:
It is with a heavy heart that I announce today that I am withdrawing from the 2nd congressional district race. I want to give a sincere thanks to everyone who supported me and contributed to the campaign. The encouragement I received from across the district in this race has been the biggest honor of my life; I will treasure that for the rest of my days.
Unfortunately, I was not able to raise the funds necessary to make this a viable effort. I have commitments to my family, my business, my community, my church, and house district 88 that proved too much to fulfill by staying in the congressional race. Gathering the resources necessary to win meant sacrificing each of those to an extent that I did not expect when I got in the race.
Even though the election result won’t end up how I wanted it to when I got in, I don’t regret running. Whoever the republican nominee in this race is will have my full support, and I’ll be working hard to get President Trump re-elected.
I want to thank my wife, Amber, who was with me every step of the way. No man has ever had a better wife than Amber, and getting to spend more time with her and my son, Pratt, is one of the few silver linings to getting out of the race.
This experience has not soured me on politics. I am excited to represent the people of Alabama House District 88 in the legislature this spring.
Sean Ross is the editor of Yellowhammer News. You can follow him on Twitter @sean_yhn
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