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Both Democratic candidates for Alabama’s 2nd Congressional District will be in Troy on Saturday to share about their platforms ahead of the March 3 primary.

Phyllis Harvey-Hall and Nathan Mathis will share about their platforms during the February meeting of the Pike County Democrats. Chris England, new chair of the Alabama Democratic Party, will also be at the meeting to speak to local Democrats.

“This opportunity gives Democrats here as well as independent and undecided voters a chance to hear from candidates firsthand,” said Monica Riley, vice chair of the Pike County Democratic Party. “It’s so close to the primary, there probably won’t be another chance to meet the candidates and inquire further about their stances and platforms. We encourage everybody to come and take advantage of this opportunity.”

Harvey Hall began her career with Montgomery Public Schools, retiring after 25 years as an educator. Since then, she has worked with the Family Sunshine Center and the National Association of Educational Progress. Hall describes herself as a representative that would “support the needs of rural communities, the needs of our elderly and veterans, and the educational needs of our children.”

Mathis comes from a farming background, starting his own farm in 1964, and has served four years as chairman of the Houston County Commission and served as an Alabama State Representative from 1982 to 1994. In 2017, Nathan gained national attention as he protested the last Roy Moore rally in the special election for United States Senate.

As the only two candidates in the race, the March 3 primary will decide the Democratic nominee for the seat. The winner will face the Republican nominee. There are seven candidates in the Republican race: Barry Moore, Jeff Coleman, Jessica Taylor, Troy King, Thomas W. Brown Jr., Terri Hasdorff and Robert Rogers.

In addition to the candidates, Riley said this may be the first time in a long time that the Alabama Democratic Party Chair has visited the Pike County Democrats.

“It’s a great opportunity to have him come down and give his perspective on the state party,” Riley said.

England is a city attorney from Tuscaloosa and was elected the new leader of the state Democratic Party in November 2019. The vote came after the State Democratic Executive Committee voted to remove Chair Nancy Worley and Vice-Chair Randy Kelley.

The meeting will begin at 10 a.m. in Trojan Center Room 119.