Fairhope Native Austin Sidwell Bets AL-1 Campaign on ‘Tomorrow Problems’

Austin Sidwell has a simple explanation for why he is running for Congress: nobody else in the race, he says, is talking about what comes next for the Gulf Coast. The Fairhope native and U.S. Air Force veteran is one of four Republicans vying for the Congressional District 1 seat, and his pitch leans on three battles — against data centers, for a new Interstate 10 crossing and for a leaner federal budget.

Voters in Mobile, Baldwin, Escambia and Covington counties head to the polls Aug. 11 in a special election made possible by the U.S. Supreme Court’s ruling in Allen v. Milligan. That June decision allowed Alabama to discard a court-ordered congressional map that had splintered the Gulf Coast and return to a different map — one federal judges had previously deemed unconstitutional in 2023 — resetting the political landscape across south Alabama.

The field he faces

Ballots in the special election will look different depending on the party. Daphne minister Clyde Jones is the lone Democratic candidate, so no Democratic ballot will be offered. On the Republican side, Sidwell faces former Rep. Jerry Carl, John Mills and Lucas Burger. The candidate with the most votes wins outright — no runoff will be held, which makes turnout and name recognition everything in a multi-candidate field.

Federal Election Commission reports show Carl dominating the money race. As of July 22, Carl had received $1.16 million in contributions and spent more than $865,000, with no personal loans to his campaign. Sidwell reported more than $199,000 on hand, including roughly $129,000 in personal loans, and expenditures topping $194,000. Mills has raised a little over $18,000, about $16,500 of it from personal loans, and spent more than $15,000. Burger has no campaign registered with the FEC.

Against data centers, ‘shoved down our throat’

Sidwell’s most distinctive position is his opposition to data center developments, which have become a flash point across Alabama as technology companies scout large rural tracts for server campuses. He frames the issue as a matter of local consent rather than a judgment about the technology itself.

He said when Alabamians say they don’t want data centers, it’s not officials’ job to shove it down their throats; the state is new to the data center and AI race and needs to figure it out before tearing up hundreds of thousands of acres.

The I-10 fight and coal ash

On transportation, Sidwell argues that South Alabama has spent a decade fighting for relief on the Interstate 10 crossing over Mobile Bay with nothing to show for it. He points to the $3.2 billion price tag for the new Mobile River Bridge — before any money is spent on the new Bayway — and the tolls drivers will pay to use the roadway. He said he thinks that reflects a disconnect in Washington, D.C., from what people actually need.

Asked about the roughly 21 million tons of coal ash stored in an unlined pond along the Mobile River at Alabama Power’s Plant Barry, Sidwell said the company should absolutely move the toxic material. He said he thinks the responsibility should be placed on the company to remedy the situation.

Sidwell, the owner of his family’s Baldwin County security company, says his Christian faith drove him into the race. He said he does not like the direction the country is going and that he hasn’t seen candidates really stick to conservative values. He said it is important to have people outside the system step up and bring new, fresh ideas. His closing argument is generational: he says it is time for a new generation in Congress focused on solving tomorrow’s problems, not the ones of the past. Whether that message can overcome Carl’s financial advantage will be decided at the polls.

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