Jessica Taylor joins GOP field in Alabama's Second Congressional District

Jessica Taylor on Monday joined a crowded Republican field vying to succeed the retiring U.S. Rep. Martha Roby (AL-02).

Taylor’s announcement was made in a video, which was released along with a statement.

Entitled, “Put Me in the Game,” the almost two-minute video introduces Taylor to GOP voters in Alabama’s Second Congressional District, outlining her personal background and professional experiences as well as her political beliefs.

The video also features Taylor sharing why she is running for Congress, with the answer possibly set to make the AL-02 primary one of the most-watched in the country.

With the recent rise of young, far-left Democrats in Washington, D.C., namely “The Squad” of U.S. Reps. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY), Ilhan Omar (D-MN), Rashida Tlaib (D-MI) and Ayanna Pressley (D-MA), there is a void of similarly aged (especially female) conservative Republicans currently serving on the other side of the aisle.

Taylor’s run could give her generation a fresh conservative fighter not just for southeast Alabama, but for the entire state.

“If you’re like me, you’re tired of radical socialists and liberal loudmouths like AOC, ‘the Squad,’ and Elizabeth Warren demonizing Alabama values and our strong support of President Trump,” Taylor said in a statement.

“I’m running for Congress because Alabama needs a new generation of conservative leadership to take on these radical liberals,” she continued. “Alabama’s conservative values are at stake, and I will fight every single day to defend them. I’m proud to be pro-life, pro-gun, pro-wall, and pro-Trump, and I will never apologize for my beliefs.”

Her must-watch video does not pull any punches, either.

“[L]ike you, I’m sick of arrogant socialists like AOC, who’ve never even run a lemonade stand, trying to tell us how to live in Alabama and that more government is the answer,” she emphasizes.

“I have zero interest in being a professional politician. But conservatives like us need a squad of our own — and I’ll build it,” Taylor concludes in the video. “So Alabama, put me in the game!”

Watch:

Taylor earned her bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Jacksonville State University.

She began her career writing and managing grants while working in the Governor’s Office of Faith-Based and Community Initiatives. Her tenure in that office included managing several statewide initiatives, including Alabama Communities for Education, a high school dropout prevention program.

While working during the day and raising her first son, Taylor earned her law degree at night from Thomas Goode Jones School of Law.

In 2010, she founded Azimuth, a full-service grant consulting firm, to help nonprofit organizations, schools and local governments become stronger in their communities by helping them navigate the maze of government regulations.

In addition to running her own company since then, Taylor has been and continues to be an active member of her community.

For example, she served in 2016 as president of the River Region Pregnancy Center, an organization committed to helping pregnant women and protecting unborn life. Taylor now serves as the president of the board of directors for the Samaritan Counseling Center in Montgomery and has been a Big Sister with Big Brothers Big Sisters of Northeast Alabama since 2005. She is also a board member of the Kiwanis Club of Montgomery and member of the First United Methodist Church of Prattville.

Jessica is married to Bryan Taylor, an Army JAG officer, Iraq war veteran and former one-term Republican state senator. Bryan in recent days resigned as Governor Kay Ivey’s chief legal advisor in anticipation of his wife’s candidacy.

Jessica and Bryan Taylor live in Prattville with their three children: Sam, Fair and Jackson.

Other announced GOP candidates in AL-02 include former Alabama Attorney General Troy King, former Business Council of Alabama chairman Jeff Coleman, former State Rep. Barry Moore (R-Enterprise) and State Rep. Will Dismukes (R-Prattville).

Sean Ross is the editor of Yellowhammer News. You can follow him on Twitter @sean_yhn