Donald Trump to hold rally in Mobile amid Alabama GOP turnout concerns

President Donald Trump plans to hold a campaign rally in Mobile next week amid concerns among Alabama Republicans about turnout. 

The rally will take place on Oct. 2 at the Mitchell Center. 

According to polling by the Economist and YouGov updated weekly, Trump is broadly unpopular in Alabama despite winning the state with nearly 65% of votes in 2024. Among 2024 voters, the president remains popular, according to the polling. Alabama Republicans have in recent weeks expressed concerns about potential apathy among GOP voters, with whom Trump remains broadly popular.

Mobile is in the 1st Alabama Congressional District, which the Cook Political Report rates solidly Republican. It is adjacent to the 2nd Congressional District, where the race between incumbent U.S. Rep. Shomari Figures, a Democrat, and Republican nominee Rhett Marques is considered more competitive, though leaning to the GOP after redistricting earlier this year. 

Trump held his first stadium-size rally for his 2016 presidential campaign in Mobile in August 2015.

Jerry Carl, a former congressman and the Republican nominee in the 1st Congressional District, wrote in a social media post Friday morning that it will be a “great honor” to have Trump in the district. 

“President Trump has been here a couple of times before but let’s make this the best trip yet! Come out to hear directly from our President and show our support!” Carl wrote.

Carl was elected in a special primary election in August over two other Republican candidates where each expressed concern of low voter turnout. Average voter turnout across all special primaries in four congressional districts for the special elections was about 5%. 

Carl will face Democratic nominee Clyde Jones, Jr., in November. Jones said in a phone interview Friday morning that he agrees that turnout is a concern, but Trump’s appearance likely will not help.

“This administration has, they have really done nothing to help the everyday person,” Jones said. “We all should be concerned about voter turnout. It’s been extremely low here in Alabama across the board.”

Jack Burns, a spokesman for the Carl campaign, wrote in a text message Friday morning that turnout will be higher in November than it was in August, and that Trump will “100% have a massive positive influence on voter turnout.”

“Trump is absolutely going to motivate voters to get out and vote. Trump loves Alabama and Alabama loves Trump,” Burns wrote. 

U.S. Rep. Barry Moore, R-Enterprise, who Trump endorsed for the U.S. Senate and who appeared at the 2015 Mobile rally as a state legislator, said in a statement Friday that Trump will “energize conservatives” for the general election.

“Thanks to his administration, we are stopping the indoctrination of our children, standing strong on the world stage, and defeating the Radical Democrats. His rally will be the jet fuel we need to win big in Alabama,” Moore said.

The campaign of U.S. Sen. Tommy Tuberville, the party’s nominee for governor and another Trump-endorsed candidate, did not have further comment beyond the senator’s brief social media post.