Former Birmingham City Attorney Tamara Harris Johnson has qualified to represent Alabama’s 7th Congressional District. When asked what prompted her decision to seek election, she stated, “The lone Democratic Congressional seat representing Alabama’s 7th Congressional District was specifically carved out to give a voice and representation to Alabamians comprising the 7th Congressional District who, historically, have been under-represented or not represented. Unfortunately, they remain under-represented or not represented.”
Johnson says that most of her professional career has been as a public servant, and she wants to continue to serve and be the needed voice to effectuate a better quality of life for people in the 7th Congressional District. “There are so many issues that have been neglected and constituency services have been an abject failure. I want to work collaboratively with representatives of the various counties to collectively make a positive impact in Alabama for everyone.”
“Of first and foremost importance, I would improve constituency services,” Johnson said. “We must never forget that people and families are the reasons we are called to duty to represent. I am a mother, I am a single parent, I have been employed and I have been unemployed. I am the prototype of many of the constituents of the 7th Congressional District. I ‘feel’ them, and I want to do everything in my power to help them.”
One of the many issues that concern Johnson is the lack of diversity on the federal benches in Alabama. “If I were elected, one of my priorities would be to advocate for more African Americans to serve as judges on the federal benches. In this state, today, we have only one African American U.S. District Court Judge, Judge Abdul Kallon, who sits in the Northern District. We have never had an African American female to serve as a U.S. District Court Judge in the history of the federal courts in this State, and the federal courts have been operational since 1824. I would work with the Alabama Democratic Party, Alabama’s two U.S. Senators and the White House to diversify the federal benches. In 2014, these statistics are unacceptable.”
Johnson also said that she would take an active part in legislation that affects the quality of life for people in Alabama. Most noted is the Voting Rights Act Amendment of 2014 that has bipartisan support in Congress. This amendment is being offered to reinstate the protections that were overruled, based on outdated criteria, by the U.S. Supreme Court in the Shelby County v. Holder case, in order to ensure that citizens’ votes are not suppressed by discriminatory practices or effects. “This amendment is not perfect, but as your representative, I would have been at the table during the initial discussions. It is disingenuous to criticize after the fact when input was not offered in the structuring of the amendment. There is still work to do, and if elected, I would insist on being involved in this legislation and any legislation that impacted Alabama. I would use the ‘Town Hall’ meetings to educate the people on what is happening and to get input from them. They are as much a part of the solution as their representative is. We live in a democracy. We believe in taxation with representation. Everyone’s vote, Black, white, rich or poor, is precious. I want to make sure that the people who elect their representative in Congress have a voice in Congress. Other segments of the State are represented, as they should be. The 7th Congressional District needs representation, also.”
Agriculture is a very important commodity in the 7th Congressional District. “I would be honored to serve on the Agriculture Committee, because that committee directly impacts the livelihood of people in the 7th Congressional District. My grandparents, the late Billy and Roberta (Carson) Gardner, were farmers in Lowndes County, Alabama. As a matter of fact their farm was used as a resting place for the marchers from Selma to Montgomery where they spent the night on March 23, 1965. The farm-signage is listed as the Robert Gardner Farm, marking the location of the site.”
When asked about the money accumulated by the incumbent, Johnson said, “While my opponent has amassed a great deal of money, most of it comes from outside the 7th Congressional District. I am going to rely on the people – the voters – of the 7th Congressional District. If they want a change, if they want representation – vocal representation and advocacy – then I, Tamara Harris Johnson, am the person for whom they should vote.”
