U.S. Sen. Doug Jones will be at the Troy University this afternoon to talk to students and the general public about his platform as he seeks reelection to his seat.

Jones, a Democrat, was elected in a 2017 special election after Jeff Sessions was appointed as U.S. attorney general by President Donald Trump. Jones defeated Republican challenger Roy Moore, former chief justice of the Alabama Supreme Court, after Moore was alleged of having inappropriate sexual contact with multiple women. Jones is the first Democratic U.S. Senator representing Alabama since 1997.

Jones will host a town hall along with a question and answer session at the Trojan Center Ballrooms on the Troy University campus today at 1 p.m. the Trojan Center Ballrooms are located upstairs at the Dorothy Kelly Adams University Center. Seating will be provided on a first come, first served basis.

As a member of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, Senator Jones has been advocated for Alabama students, teachers, and administrators. In the U.S. Senate, he has taken action to provide all Alabamians access to a quality, affordable education, including:

• Introducing a bill that would help reduce the need for students to take remedial courses in college;

• Securing a $34 million funding increase for on-campus daycare grants to help student-parents achieve their degrees;

• Worked with Republican and Democratic colleagues on the HELP Committee to reauthorize $1.2 billion in federal funding that will strengthen career and technical education programs;

• Proposing bipartisan legislation to renew funding for Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), which is set to expire in September 2019;

• Secured a 14-percent increase in funding for HBCUs; and,

• Leading an effort to examine and address the disproportionate student debt burden among students of color.

Jones’ seat is among the races in the upcoming general election. A growing list of Republican candidates have already announced intentions to challenge Jones for the seat.