Shomari Figures Bio
Shomari Coleman Figures (born September 3, 1985) is an American politician and attorney serving as the U.S. representative for Alabama’s 2nd congressional district since 2025. A member of the Democratic Party, Figures was first elected to Congress in 2024 and sworn into office on January 3, 2025. He works as a lawyer by training and previously served in senior roles inside the Obama and Biden administrations.
Born and raised in Mobile, Alabama, Figures comes from a family with deep roots in public service. His work in Washington and his return to Alabama shaped his path into electoral politics, culminating in his congressional victory over Republican Caroleene Dobson.
Early Life and Background
Shomari Coleman Figures was born in Mobile, Alabama, on September 3, 1985. He is the son of Michael Figures, a civil rights attorney and longtime member of the Alabama Senate, and Vivian Davis Figures, who succeeded her husband in the Alabama Senate after his death. His father also served as the attorney for Beulah Mae Donald, whose son Michael was lynched by members of the United Klans of America; the resulting $7 million award helped bankrupt the organization.
Figures graduated from LeFlore Magnet High School in Mobile, Alabama. He then attended the University of Alabama, where he earned a Bachelor of Arts in criminal justice and history in 2006. He continued at the University of Alabama School of Law and received his Juris Doctor in 2010. After law school, he served as a law clerk for Nannette A. Baker in the Eastern District of Missouri.
Path to US Politics
Figures first entered national politics as a field organizer in Akron, Ohio, for Barack Obama’s 2012 reelection campaign. Following the campaign, he joined the Obama administration as the domestic director of the White House Presidential Personnel Office and later served as the White House liaison to Attorney General Loretta Lynch. These early roles established his experience in executive branch operations and personnel policy.
Figures then became legislative counsel for U.S. Senator Sherrod Brown of Ohio and worked on the presidential transition of Joe Biden. He subsequently served as deputy chief of staff to Attorney General Merrick Garland, a position he held until resigning in October 2023 to prepare his own run for Congress. His combination of campaign, legislative, and Department of Justice experience informed his decision to seek federal office.
Shomari Figures Career
Early Career (2006–2023)
After completing his education, Figures built a career that bridged legal practice, campaign work, and senior government service. His early legal work as a federal law clerk in the Eastern District of Missouri provided courtroom experience before he moved into political and executive branch roles. Working on Obama’s 2012 reelection effort gave him direct experience in organizing and voter engagement in a competitive state.
Throughout the Obama and Biden years, Figures held steadily more senior positions in Washington, including service as domestic director of the White House Presidential Personnel Office, White House liaison to Attorney General Loretta Lynch, legislative counsel to U.S. Senator Sherrod Brown, and deputy chief of staff to Attorney General Merrick Garland. By the time he resigned in October 2023, he had accumulated more than a decade of federal government and campaign experience.
2024 Election Breakthrough (2023–2024)
In November 2023, Figures declared his candidacy to represent Alabama’s 2nd congressional district in the United States House of Representatives. The district had been redrawn after the Supreme Court’s ruling in Allen v. Milligan, which required Alabama to add a second majority-Black congressional district. Figures entered a crowded Democratic primary field of eleven candidates and led with 44 percent of the vote, advancing to a mid-April runoff against Alabama House Minority Leader Anthony Daniels.
Figures won the April runoff with 61 percent of the vote, securing the Democratic nomination. During the primary, cryptocurrency political action committees spent significant sums to support his campaign, and Figures later asked the Democratic National Committee to adopt more pro-crypto policies. He spoke at the 2024 Democratic National Convention and went on to defeat Republican Caroleene Dobson in the general election, winning the seat.
119th Congress Era (2025–Present)
Figures was sworn into office on January 3, 2025, becoming the first Democrat since 1963 to represent a significant portion of Mobile in Congress, and only the fourth since then to represent a significant portion of Montgomery. His election marked a generational shift in representation for south Alabama. He serves in the 119th Congress and holds committee assignments associated with his role as a freshman representative.
On December 9, 2025, Figures voted in favor of the Secure Rural Schools Reauthorization Act of 2025. The legislation passed the House by a vote of 399–5 and extends federal payments to rural counties to support schools, roads, and local services. His support for the bill aligned him with a broad bipartisan majority in the chamber.
Notable Events and Milestones
Figures’s signature political moment was his 2024 congressional victory in a redrawn, majority-Black Alabama district, ending a six-decade Democratic drought in parts of Mobile. His defeat of Anthony Daniels in the runoff and his general election win over Caroleene Dobson signaled a competitive new era for south Alabama politics.
Shomari Figures Career Wins
Figures has built a record of electoral and professional achievements that span campaigns, administration roles, and congressional service. His most notable victories include winning the 2024 Democratic primary runoff and the general election for Alabama’s 2nd congressional district.
2024 Election Highlights
Figures led an eleven-candidate Democratic primary field with 44 percent of the vote, then won the April runoff against Anthony Daniels with 61 percent. In the general election, he defeated Republican Caroleene Dobson to claim the seat and was sworn in on January 3, 2025. His win made him the first Democrat since 1963 to represent a significant portion of Mobile.
Other Wins & Achievements
Beyond electoral victories, Figures has achieved a series of senior government appointments, including serving as domestic director of the White House Presidential Personnel Office, White House liaison to Attorney General Loretta Lynch, legislative counsel to U.S. Senator Sherrod Brown, and deputy chief of staff to Attorney General Merrick Garland.
Shomari Figures Family
Family Background and Political Lineage
Figures is the son of Michael Figures, a civil rights attorney and longtime Alabama state senator, and Vivian Davis Figures, who succeeded her husband in the Alabama Senate after his death. His father also represented Beulah Mae Donald, whose successful civil case against the United Klans of America helped bankrupt the group. Public service is a defining thread of the Figures family legacy.
Personal Life
Figures met his wife, Kalisha Dessources, in 2014 while they both worked at the White House. The couple married on December 2, 2018, in East Brunswick, New Jersey, and have three children. Figures is a Protestant, and his family life in Mobile and Washington has been a consistent anchor throughout his political rise.