Politics in Alabama is extremely unbalanced. Republicans hold all statewide offices as well as supermajorities in the state legislature. With the exception of electing U.S. Senator Doug Jones in a special election in 2017, Democrats have made little electoral progress outside of some local races. But Alabama Democrats are in a good position this year according to the leader of the Alabama Democratic Party.

“Once you see all of the ads and the fights that Republicans are having, it creates a stark contrast between some of the more extreme elements of their message and their base versus the message you’ll get from the Democratic candidates,” said the state representative. Chris England, State Party Chairman.

England said Republicans in Alabama are running on issues that divide and scare people while Democrats focus on issues that make a difference in the lives of voters.

“I think you will see that not only [statewide Democratic candidates] better candidates, but they have a better platform,” England said.

Alabama Democrats have pushed for Medicaid expansion and the legalization of recreational marijuana. England has come out in favor of abortion rights after a US Supreme Court draft opinion leaked suggesting the justices are set to overturn Roe v. Wade. England has described the issues as “winning questions”, citing national polls that have shown majority support for some level of abortion access and soften opinions on marijuana.

England said a recently enacted law in Alabama banning gender-affirming care for young transgender people interferes with parents’ rights to raise their children. He said Democrats would protect the right to vote, which he called a “nonpartisan issue.”

While England does not expect the Democrats to suddenly sweep away all of their ruling candidates this fall, he predicts more competitive races for the legislative races in the states of Huntsville and Birmingham.

“You measure success by the circumstances you face,” England said.