The next hurdle: Democratic newcomer Isner looks ahead to November

Melissa Brown | Montgomery Advertiser

Show Caption Hide Caption Tabitha Isner discusses her campaign for U.S. Congress Tabitha Isner, who is running as a Democrat for U.S. Representative District 2, speaks about the campaign during the opening of her campaign headquarters in Montgomery, Ala. on Thursday February 8, 2018.(Mickey Welsh / Montgomery Advertiser)

In 2016, Montgomery transplant Tabitha Isner was looking to get involved.

Donations, phone banking, door knocking — any option would have been acceptable to support the Democratic candidate challenging then three-time incumbent Martha Roby for her congressional seat. Isner had difficulty finding any avenue to support the challenger Nathan Mathis, and the implication that the race was a foregone conclusion didn’t sit well.

“You’ve got to have decent candidates running, even if you think you’re going to lose, to get out there and talk about the issues,” Isner said she told friends. “We need someone who can raise some money, get boots on the ground and make a good run of it.”

Roby received 48.8 percent of the vote in 2016, with a concerted write-in campaign eating into her voter base and amassing 10.7 percent. Mathis, the only Democratic candidate to file for the race, received 40.5 percent of the vote.

More: By the numbers: How Bobby Bright forced Martha Roby into a runoff

“That is a close election, and Democrats did not treat it like it was a close election. Why weren’t people pushing for this? Why did she get to skate through? That was the distressing part. I didn’t think we were having a good quality Democratic conversation when there was only one side talking.”

"I knew challenging Roby was going to be my project in 2018. I just didn’t know I was going to be the one on the ballot."

But appear on the ballot she did, and Democratic voters earlier this month tapped her for the party’s nomination with a 20 percent margin over opponent Audri Scott Williams.

Isner may have won the first round, but her campaign knows the next five months will be an uphill slog in one of the state’s sturdiest Republican strongholds.

In the past five decades, the district has elected one Democrat to Congress. Bobby Bright, a former Montgomery mayor and Wiregrass native, had high name recognition and a conservative bent. Bright flipped parties this election cycle to challenge Roby for her seat, and forced the congresswoman into a runoff in July.

More: Despite rhetoric, Roby and Bright compiled conservative records in Congress

"It’s clear that the much bigger hurdle is the general election," Isner said. "Because we live in a state where the culture is so Republican, before we can have a real conversation about issues, we have to get people past the 'D' next to my name. That just means I have to work twice as hard to get my message out there and get people to give me a fair shake."

Isner's campaign is holding steady at its Montgomery and Dothan offices, concerned that a ramp-up of campaigning might hit a wall of voter fatigue after the primaries and upcoming runoff elections. But the candidate is aware of some of the battles she'll have to fight against longtime politicians from the River Region.

"Name recognition is clearly going to be my biggest struggle," she said.

With a master's in public policy from the University of Chicago, Isner initially thought she would go into faith-based advocacy work. But she found her niche as a policy analyst in early childhood education, identifying which policies were working and which were ineffective. Isner was working as a strategic planner for the state of Minnesota when her husband, a minister, began a national job search for his next church.

More: Isner, Williams stress health care & education in Democratic race for 2nd District seat

Montgomery is now home and, despite frequent moves throughout her life, Isner said its where her family's future is. The couple has one son, 9-year-old Tymari, who joined their family through foster care the fall of his kindergarten year. His adoption was finalized in 2017.

Despite a welcoming church home, Isner first thought she couldn't build a candidacy as a newcomer. But now she believes it gives her a unique perspective in the race

"I think one of the benefits to being new to the area is that I'm able to really see it," Isner said. "It’s not all old hat to me. It’s not through a haze of normalcy. I really see what’s different about people and notice in a way that I don’t think I would if it had always been my home. And I know how much I don’t know. ...Tell me about [your community], and I won’t come in with my preconceived notions about what a certain county is like."

Rural issues are on the top of the Democrat's list to talk about with voters. Rural health care and broadband internet access in particular, two issues Isner believes are linked and vital to provide specialist medical assistance to patients who can't drive into a major metro for a weekly appointment. Increasing the pipeline of medical personnel like nurse practitioners and home health aides is also a priority, Isner said.

As a mother of a Montgomery Public Schools student, Isner said, she's keenly aware of how important education is as an issue for District 2 voters. Though much of it is under state and local control, she believes the federal government could better invest in public education by retooling the rules around infrastructure investments.

"Roads and bridges are important because they get goods to market, schools are really important because they get our talent to market," Isner said. "They help our children get workforce ready."

According to Federal Election Commission filings, both Bright and Isner are dwarfed by Roby's fundraising. The four-time incumbent raked in $1.6 million before the primary election, with a little more than $600,000 on hand as of May 16, the most recent filing deadline. But Bright is also several paces ahead of Isner, with about $380,000 raised to-date to her $150,000.

The campaign's current priorities lie in the southern part of the Wiregrass region, which Isner said has been ignored in past elections, particularly by the Democratic Party. The campaign is also looking to use social media campaigns to connect with younger voters, Democratic or not, who may have been disillusioned by noncompetitive races in Alabama politics in the past.

"I’m hopeful that by giving people something to choose from, we can engage more of the younger population," she said.

Though it's a long shot the district will elect its second Democrat in 50 years, Isner plans to run a vocal campaign so voters won't experience what she did in 2016. For the next five months and change, she'll be working to make her case.

"Anyone I meet in person, I can connect with. I can convince that I’m a good bet, I’m trustworthy, I’m worth your time," Isner said.