Sneed talks reform, representation at town hall
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"What I'm asking for is a relationship. A real one," Andrew Sneed said Tuesday. Photo: Derek Lacey/Axios
Andrew Sneed wants to restore people's trust in their representatives.
Why it matters: Sneed, a Democrat, is running against incumbent Republican U.S. Rep. Dale Strong to represent North Alabama's 5th District, and that race is entering the home stretch.
The latest: Sneed wrapped up his "Hear Every Voice" town hall series in Huntsville on Tuesday at the Bob Harrison Wellness and Advocacy Center, speaking to a standing-room-only crowd of around 200.
Driving the news: Disillusionment with the status quo in Washington was a common thread for questioners, with several asking Sneed whether he'd be a true representative of the people or disappear into the system in D.C.
Zoom in: Sneed said he plans to be a representative, and pointed to the 98-member coalition he's already building, Take BAC Congress.
Zoom out: Voters also asked about healthcare. Sneed supports expanding Medicaid and the COVER Now Act, from U.S. Rep. Shomari Figures, telling Axios ahead of the event that "it's time for comprehensive healthcare reform, and it's time to throw the lobbyists out of the negotiations."
- Sneed, strongly pro-union, spoke in support of raising the minimum wage and closing tax loopholes for the top 1%.
- He said tariff and war powers lie with Congress, calling the current war in Iran illegal and pointing out rising costs from tariffs.
"This is the most important election of our lives," Sneed said. "Regardless of your politics — I mean it — we have to hold the line."
What they're saying: Jane Sweeney, a 40-year Huntsville resident, supported Strong in previous elections but is voting for Sneed this time, she told Axios on Tuesday.
- Given Strong's local record and experience, she thought he'd be a more nonpartisan-style representative for the whole district, but that didn't happen, she said.
- Colby Meeks, a Lee High School grad like Sneed, told Axios that he, too, doesn't feel represented by Strong, whom he doesn't feel is a real advocate for the district.
Context: Town halls themselves have become a campaign issue for the midterms in Alabama, as Republican candidates like Strong and Tommy Tuberville opt out, something their Democratic opponents have been highlighting.
- Strong has pointed to his telephone town halls, telling Axios last month that "the people that have supported me appreciate the way I do business."
- Sweeney told Axios that Strong's tele-town halls come with very short notice and called them "very disappointing" and full of talking points.
The bottom line: Election Day is Nov. 3, less than a month away.