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Caroleene Dobson won the nomination in Tuesday’s runoff in the Republican Primary Election for the newly redrawn U.S. Congressional District 2, which includes Pike County.

Dobson received 58.8 percent of the vote in the runoff, defeating opponent Dick Brewbaker, who received 41.5 percent of the vote.

“I was very, very grateful for all the folks that showed up on Tuesday and turned out to vote,” Dobson told The Messenger. “I am truly humbled by this opportunity and empowered to fight for Alabama families and represent all the folks in District 2 that want to see change in our country.”

Dobson, a Monroe County native, spent plenty of time in Troy and Pike County during the run up to the primary election.

“I’ve had the privilege to meet with a lot of different folks in a lot of different areas, both formally and informally,” Dobson said of her trips to Pike County. “I so admire the folks in Pike County and so much of your leadership is focused on making the community better and there is a tremendous amount of civic engagement in Troy and Pike County.

“I’ve met with many elected officials like the sheriff, mayors, judges, county commissioners but I’ve also gotten a chance to meet a lot of private citizens that are doing so much in Troy and Pike County to give back to the community and are seeking creative ways to give back to the community.”

While Dobson said she plans to spend more time in Pike County to find out the issues and areas of needs of the residents, she’s already looking to some things she thinks will benefit the area.

“Troy University is a jewel in Alabama and I’ve had the privilege to meet with Chancellor (Jack) Hawkins a couple of times and all that Troy (University) is doing in the state and internationally is incredible,” she said. “I’m certainly going to fight for opportunities to ensure that Troy (University) can continue to grow and serve the needs of students in Alabama and throughout the world.”

During her first trip to Troy she quickly realized that the post office needs attention and she says that’s one area she plans to tackle if elected.

“I will fight for a better post office in Troy,” she flatly said. “Your post office is woefully inadequate in terms of size with the number of folks in Troy. The entrance is also not conducive to larger deliveries and it’s confusing.

“That’s something small but is something I think will improve the quality of life for people in the area. When I hear that some folks drive all the way to Luverne or Enterprise to go to the post office that’s something we want to fix. It’s important to have a post office that can serve the needs of the community.”

Dobson is also eying several national topics she believes will improve the lives of those in Pike County and the rest of the U.S.

“We have to secure the border. That makes us all safer,” Dobson emphasized. “It cuts down on crime, the Fentanyl Crisis and the strain on our social services. I will certainly be fighting inflation and fighting for energy independence and support of our military and defense industry. I’ll also be supporting our law enforcement and fighting for better solutions to the mental health crisis and ensure that our smaller hospitals are thriving.”

Dobson says she’s planning a number of campaign events in Troy and Pike County, which will be announced leading up to the general election.

“We will have some campaign events that we’re planning and also I’m looking forward to participating in the various community events in Troy,” she said. “My husband and daughters and I have enjoyed our time in Troy and enjoyed our time in Pike County and look forward to coming back soon.”

Dobson will face off against Democrat Shomari Figures in the Nov. 5 general election for District 2. Figures, a Mobile native, defeated Anthony Daniels in the Democratic runoff with 61 percent of the vote.