金·钱德勒、比尔·巴罗 报道 亚拉巴马州多森讯 —— 人们肩并肩地挤在阿拉巴马州南部一家咖啡店的二楼，该地区有时被称为这个重度保守州内“最红”的地区。
KIM CHANDLER, BILL BARROW DOTHAN, Ala. — People crowded shoulder to shoulder upstairs in a south Alabama coffee shop, in a region sometimes called the reddest in the heavily conservative state.
他们来这里是为了聆听道格·琼斯的演讲，他是阿拉巴马州州长职位的民主党提名人，也是最后一位在阿拉巴马州担任全州性职务的民主党人。
They were there to hear Doug Jones , the Democratic nominee for governor and the last Democrat to hold statewide office in Alabama.
“阿拉巴马州已经处于共和党控制下近二十年了。我们的状况并没有变好，”来自斯洛科姆的61岁政府承包商杰夫·斯克罗金斯说道，他是前来壁画城市咖啡公司（Mural City Coffee Company）人群中的一员，并表示他将投票给这位民主党人。
“Alabama has been under Republican control for almost two decades. We’re not getting any better,” said Jeff Scroggins, 61, a government contractor from Slocomb who was part of the crowd that came to Mural City Coffee Company and said he is voting for the Democrat. Scroggins, who usually votes Democratic, called himself the “black sheep of the family” in supporting Jones this fall against Republican U.S. Sen. Tommy Tuberville, but said there are more Democrats and “stubborn independents” in the state than people realize.
平时投票给民主党的斯克罗金斯称自己是家里支持琼斯的“异类”，今秋琼斯将对阵共和党联邦参议员汤米·图伯维尔，但他表示，该州的民主党人和“倔强的独立选民”比人们想象的要多。琼斯以及在阿拉巴马州和邻州参选的其他民主党人正指望这一点。
Jones and other Democrats running in Alabama and neighboring states are banking on it.
“民众渴望变革，”琼斯在与前来见他的人交谈了一个小时后表示，“这是真正的关键。民众对阿拉巴马州政府不满意。” 深南部的民主党人长期缺席全州性职务，今年正寻求东山再起。他们试图动员因共和党拆分少数族裔国会选区而愤怒的黑人选民，以及对高油价、伊朗战争、数据中心等问题感到沮丧的选民。
“People want change,” Jones said after an hour of talking with people who came to see him. “That is the real key. People are not satisfied with their government of Alabama.” Deep South Democrats, largely absent from statewide offices, are aiming for a comeback this year. They are seeking to mobilize Black voters who are angered about the Republican moves to dismantle minority congressional districts , as well as voters who are frustrated with high gas prices, the Iran war, data centers and other issues.
琼斯正试图在与图伯维尔的再次对决中获胜，后者在2020年的参议院竞选中击败了他。如果当选，琼斯将成为自1998年以来首位赢得阿拉巴马州州长选举的民主党人。
Jones is trying to win a rematch with Tuberville after the Republican ousted him in a 2020 Senate race. Jones would be the first Democrat since 1998 to win an Alabama governor’s race.
在密西西比州，检察官斯科特·科洛姆正试图击败共和党人辛迪·海德-史密斯，成为该州自1946年以来首位新当选的联邦参议员。在佐治亚州，前亚特兰大市长基莎·兰斯·博托姆斯正试图扭转民主党自2002年以来在州长选举中的连败局面。在其他地方，民主党正试图在路易斯安那州和南卡罗来纳州的联邦参议员选举中制造冷门。
In Mississippi, prosecutor Scott Colom is trying to unseat Republican Cindy Hyde-Smith and become the state’s first newly elected U.S. senator since 1946. In Georgia, former Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms is trying to reverse a losing streak in races for governor that began for Democrats in 2002. Elsewhere, Democrats are trying to pull off U.S. Senate upsets in Louisiana and South Carolina.
在阿拉巴马州，琼斯的市政厅会议吸引了充满希望的民主党人、一些独立选民甚至少数共和党人。他们的担忧反映了全国选民的关切：生活成本上升、对数据中心的担忧以及医疗保健的可负担性，他们表示这些问题一直未得到控制该州的共和党人的解决。
In Alabama, Jones’ town halls have attracted hopeful Democrats, some independents and even a few Republicans. Their concerns mirror those of voters nationwide: the rising cost of living , worries over data centers and the affordability of healthcare , issues they say have gone unaddressed by the Republicans who control the state. Some said state policies, including an abortion ban that makes no exemption for rape, have been too extreme. Others said some comments by Tuberville, such as calling Islam “a cult,” are embarrassing to the state.
一些人表示，包括不豁免强奸案件的堕胎禁令在内的州政策过于极端。其他人则表示，塔伯维尔的一些言论，例如称伊斯兰教为“邪教”，让该州感到尴尬。
Still, the math across the Deep South has been difficult for Democrats. Other than Jones’ victory in the special U.S. Senate election, the last Democrat holding statewide office in Alabama was defeated in 2012. Statewide Democratic candidates have hit a ceiling of around 40% of the vote in recent elections.
尽管如此，深南部各州的选情对民主党依然严峻。除琼斯在联邦参议员特别选举中获胜外，阿拉巴马州上一位担任全州性职务的民主党人在2012年落败。近年来，全州范围的民主党候选人得票率触顶约为40%。
Still, the math across the Deep South has been difficult for Democrats. Other than Jones’ victory in the special U.S. Senate election, the last Democrat holding statewide office in Alabama was defeated in 2012. Statewide Democratic candidates have hit a ceiling of around 40% of the vote in recent elections. The results are similar in most other Deep South states. In Georgia, U.S. Sens. Raphael Warnock and Jon Ossoff, who is seeking reelection this year, offer a bright spot for Democrats.
大多数其他深南部州的情况相似。在佐治亚州，联邦参议员拉斐尔·沃诺克和乔恩·奥索夫（今年寻求连任）为民主党带来了一线亮色。
Jones noted that Alabama saw a surge in the number of people voting in the Democratic primary. While about 58% of primary voters were Republican, the Democratic primary vote doubled since 2022. Some counties, including a tech hub in north Alabama, saw more Democratic votes than Republican.
琼斯指出，阿拉巴马州参加民主党初选的选民人数激增。虽然约58%的初选选民是共和党人，但自2022年以来，民主党初选选票数量翻了一番。一些县份，包括北阿拉巴马州的一个科技中心，民主党得票甚至超过了共和党。
Jones noted that Alabama saw a surge in the number of people voting in the Democratic primary. While about 58% of primary voters were Republican, the Democratic primary vote doubled since 2022. Some counties, including a tech hub in north Alabama, saw more Democratic votes than Republican. Optimistic about their chances, Democrats are running candidates in all major state races for the first time in years.
对获胜机会持乐观态度，民主党多年来首次在所有主要州级竞选中都派出了候选人。
“The numbers are there,” Jones said. “It’s a question of getting those voters out.” In nearby Troy, a crowd gathered on the campus of Troy University to hear Jones speak alongside Shomari Figures, one of Alabama’s two Black U.S. House members. The district was substantially redrawn by Republicans after the U.S. Supreme Court earlier this year gutted the Voting Rights Act .
“数字摆在那里，”琼斯说。“关键在于让那些选民出来投票。”在附近的特洛伊，一群人聚集在特洛伊大学校园里，聆听琼斯与肖马里·菲格斯的演讲，后者是阿拉巴马州两位黑人联邦众议员之一。今年早些时候，美国最高法院大幅削弱了《投票权法案》后，共和党人大幅重划了该选区。
“The numbers are there,” Jones said. “It’s a question of getting those voters out.” In nearby Troy, a crowd gathered on the campus of Troy University to hear Jones speak alongside Shomari Figures, one of Alabama’s two Black U.S. House members. The district was substantially redrawn by Republicans after the U.S. Supreme Court earlier this year gutted the Voting Rights Act .
菲格斯表示，他感受到了一种自琼斯2017年参议院选举获胜以来从未有过的热情。两年前，联邦法院裁定阿拉巴马州非法稀释了黑人选民的投票权，并下令重新划分选区线，随后菲格斯当选。今年最高法院的推翻裁决允许州共和党人重塑选区，并大幅减少了倾向民主党的黑人选民比例。菲格斯表示，重划选区的目的显而易见：减少黑人的代表性。“但我们将在11月赢得选举，”他说。
Figures said there is an excitement he has not felt since Jones’ 2017 Senate victory. Figures won election two years ago after a federal court ruled that Alabama had been illegally diluting the voting power of Black Alabamians and ordered new district lines. The Supreme Court’s reversal this year allowed state Republicans to reshape the district and substantially reduce the percentage of Black voters who align with Democrats. Figures said the goal of the redraw was obvious: to reduce Black representation . “But we are going to win it in November,” he said.
在负担能力成为中期选举主要议题之一之际，菲格斯经常强调该选区的经济需求。他指出，阿拉巴马州的个人收入中位数为3.4万美元。
Figures has often emphasized the economic needs of the district at a time when affordability is one of the main topics of the midterms. He noted that the individual median income in Alabama is $34,000.
“让这个数字沉淀一下——税前、房租前、水费前、电费前、燃气费前、手机费前、医保前、车险前、托儿费前、食物前，只有3.4万美元，”他说。
“Let that sink in — $34,000 before taxes, before rent, before water, before lights, before gas, before cellphone, before health insurance, before car insurance, before childcare, before food,” he said.
阿拉巴马州是根据《平价医疗法案》未扩大医疗补助范围的10个州之一，琼斯和菲格斯表示，这一决定导致成千上万的劳动者无法获得医疗保障。
Alabama is one of 10 states that did not expand Medicaid under the Affordable Care Act, a decision that Jones and Figures said leaves thousands of working people without access to healthcare coverage.
菲格斯的对手是获得特朗普背书的共和党人雷特·马奎斯，一名州议员。马奎斯将这场竞选定性为“常识”与“疯狂”的对决。到目前为止，双方各筹集了约130万美元。
Figures faces Trump-endorsed Republican Rhett Marques, a state lawmaker. Marques framed the race as “common sense” versus “craziness.” Both have raised about $1.3 million so far. Colom echoes many of Jones’ and Figures’ arguments in his bid against Hyde-Smith.
科隆在竞选中对阵海德-史密斯，他呼应了琼斯和菲格斯的许多论点。
“We’ve been gifted an opportunity,” he said, pointing to Mississippi’s large base of Black Democratic voters, Hyde-Smith’s relatively low profile in her first full Senate term and voters’ frustrations over the economy.
“我们得到了一个机会，”他说，并指出密西西比州庞大的黑人民主党选民基础、海德-史密斯在其首个完整参议员任期中知名度相对较低，以及选民对经济的不满。
“We’ve been gifted an opportunity,” he said, pointing to Mississippi’s large base of Black Democratic voters, Hyde-Smith’s relatively low profile in her first full Senate term and voters’ frustrations over the economy.
作为全美黑人选民占比最高的州，密西西比州的大选多年来比其周边南方邻州更具竞争性。特朗普在三次总统大选中均以两位数优势获胜，但2023年共和党籍州长塔特·里夫斯仅以3个百分点的微弱优势成功连任。
With the largest share of Black voters of any state, Mississippi’s general elections have been closer for years than its immediate Southern neighbors. Trump won by double digits in each of his three presidential contests, but in 2023 Republican Gov. Tate Reeves managed to win reelection by a margin of just 3 percentage points.
科隆坚称，他可以通过提高黑人选民投票率、争取足够多对共和党失望的白人选民来缩小差距。这就是曾助奥索夫和沃诺克在佐治亚州获胜的同类选举算术。
Colom insists he can close the gap by increasing Black turnout and peeling off enough disenchanted white voters from Republicans. It is the same kind of electoral math that propelled Ossoff and Warnock in Georgia.
“对我来说，这不能仅仅关乎获得参议院多数席位，”科隆说。“这必须关乎拥有一个再次代表农村美国、郊区美国、城市美国的政党——一个确保我们真正为选民兑现承诺、让他们的生活变得更好，而不是找借口推脱为什么做不到的政党。”
“For me, it can’t be just about getting a Senate majority,” Colom said. “It’s got to be about having a party that represents rural America again, suburban America, urban America — a party that makes sure we actually deliver for voters in ways that make their lives better, and we don’t come up with excuses as to why we can’t do it.”
阿拉巴马州共和党主席斯科特·施塔德根表示，依他之见，民主党的优先事项“远超阿拉巴马州保守派的认知范围”。他表示以前也有过民主党复兴的议论，但“每个选举周期，我们依然是这个明确保守的美国东南部地区中最红的州。”
Alabama’s Republican Party chairman, Scott Stadthagen, said Democratic priorities, in his opinion, “are far outside the views of conservative Alabamians.” He said there has been previous chatter of a Democratic resurgence, and “each election cycle, we remain the brightest red state in the decidedly conservative southeastern United States.” Tuberville has declined Jones’ challenge to debate. Expressing confidence about November, Tuberville said he is running “against an ideology that’s not very compatible with the people of Alabama.” He will appear with Trump at a rally in Mobile next week.
图伯维尔拒绝了琼斯的辩论挑战。对11月大选表达信心时，图伯维尔称他是在“反对一种与阿拉巴马州民不太相容的意识形态”。他将于下周出席在莫比尔举行的特朗普集会。
Alabama’s Republican Party chairman, Scott Stadthagen, said Democratic priorities, in his opinion, “are far outside the views of conservative Alabamians.” He said there has been previous chatter of a Democratic resurgence, and “each election cycle, we remain the brightest red state in the decidedly conservative southeastern United States.” Tuberville has declined Jones’ challenge to debate. Expressing confidence about November, Tuberville said he is running “against an ideology that’s not very compatible with the people of Alabama.” He will appear with Trump at a rally in Mobile next week.
“我代表阿拉巴马州已有六年，大约六、七周后我们将把决定权交给这里的选民，看他们怎么说，”图伯维尔对记者说。随着11月大选临近，民主党候选人吸引了令人瞩目的人群。
“I’ve been representing Alabama for six years, and we’ll turn it over to the voters here in about six, seven weeks and see what they say,” Tuberville told reporters.
对于参加了多森和特洛伊集会的萨姆·菲利普斯来说，现场的人群和氛围与以往选举年份有所不同。
As the November election draws closer, Democratic candidates are attracting impressive crowds. To Sam Phillips, who attended the rallies in Dothan and Troy, the crowds and energy felt different from previous election years.
这位67岁的老人表示：“这里没有比这更红（指共和党支持者）的地方了，两个地方都充满了兴奋的气氛。因此，我感到很乐观。”67岁的退休特殊教育教师格温多琳·戴维斯从特洛伊的市政厅出来时，怀里抱着一大捆菲格斯和琼斯的竞选标语牌。她说，她决心去接触那些一直对选举持观望态度的人。
“It doesn’t get any redder than here, and there was a whole lot of excitement in both places,” the 67-year-old said. “So I feel optimistic.” Gwendolyn Davis, a 67-year-old retired special education teacher, left the town hall in Troy with an armful of yard signs for Figures and Jones. She said she is determined to reach people who have been sitting out elections.
“如果我们不能让人们出来投票，那将是一件令人心碎的事，”她说。巴罗从亚特兰大发回报道。
“If we don’t get people out to vote, it will be kind of heartbreaking,” she said. Barrow reported from Atlanta.