meet Shomari
Alabama is home. It is where I was raised in my grandfather’s church and where I was educated from kindergarten to degree in law. The people and places of the state made me who I am today. Inspired by parents Michael and Vivian Figures, who devoted their careers to public service and instilled in me the values of service and community, I’ve dedicated my life’s work to advocate for the people and places that have always been at the core of who I am: the people of Alabama.
My father, Michael Figures, was a state senator and lawyer. For over two decades, he fought to expand rights for Black people in Mobile and across Black Belt Alabama. He worked to protect property rights and ensure fair representation for Black people and successfully brought the lawsuit that bankrupted the Klan after they lynched a Black teenager in Mobile in 1981. My mother served on the Mobile City Council at the time of my father’s sudden death, and she was elected to fill his seat in the State Senate. She still serves as a State Senator and has worked to protect women’s rights and improve health and education in Alabama.
After graduating from John L. LeFlore High School, I went on to the University of Alabama and then followed in my father’s footsteps and went to law school at the University of Alabama. Keeping the values of service and community formed in my childhood at the forefront, I immediately went to work in public service, ultimately serving in all three branches of the federal government.
After serving as a law clerk on the federal court, I worked on President Barack Obama’s campaign, and then went to work in the White House with President Obama, serving as the Domestic Director of Presidential Personnel. In the White House, I worked to build the teams at agencies critical to implementing President Obama’s policies. I worked closely with senior leadership at agencies that touch the daily lives of people in Alabama, including the Departments of Education, Labor, Health and Human Services (HHS), Housing and Urban Development (HUD), and Justice. I was proud to be able to support, from the ground up, the implementation of policies and legislation like the Affordable Care Act, which has improved the lives of thousands in Alabama.
I went on to serve as the White House Liaison at the Department of Justice, and then as a Counsel in Congress, where I served as an advisor on issues including civil rights, immigration, homeland security, child welfare, and policing. After leaving Congress, I worked on the Biden-Harris Transition Team, and then returned to the Department of Justice where I most recently served as Deputy Chief of Staff and Counselor Attorney General Merrick Garland. The time I spent in the federal government was dedicated to advising leaders on issues that impact families across Alabama and throughout the nation. I worked on issues that supported students and teachers, expanded access to quality healthcare, increased job and workforce opportunities, and building stronger, safer communities.
Now, as the proud husband of a former school teacher and strong advocate for our communities, Dr. Kalisha Dessources Figures, and father of three – Micah, Novah, and Zorah – I came home to run for Congress so that I can put my experience to use for the people and communities that mean the most to me. People across the newly formed District 2 deserve to have a leader in Congress who will prioritize them and can effectively fight to get things done. For too long, too many communities in this District have not been a priority in Washington and have had to do more with less. In this election, we can change our story..
I have the experience to get the job done in Washington. I know how the federal government works. I’ve built the relationships needed to work across party lines and do the most good. I understand the challenges we are up against. With your support, I’ll go to Washington to keep fighting for a stronger, more resilient District 2 so that we can move forward – forward, together.