Alabama Candidate’s Ad Goes Viral, Suggests Conservative ‘Squad’ to Fight Socialism

Jessica Taylor said she is seeking the Republican nomination for Alabama's 2nd congressional district. Jessica Taylor

An Alabama businesswoman and congressional candidate said there needs to be a conservative “squad” to counter Democratic socialists who were in Congress.

Jessica Taylor, a Republican who is running for the U.S. House seat after Rep. Martha Roby (R-Ala.) announced she would not seek reelection, released a now-viral campaign ad that attacked “radical socialists,” while saying she would “fight to protect life, the 2nd amendment, our borders, our military, our families, and President Trump from the socialists in the swamp.”

Her ad then criticized Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.), saying she has “never even run a lemonade stand,” claiming she is telling people “how to live in Alabama.”

“Conservatives like us need a ‘Squad’ of our own,” Taylor stated.

In an interview with Fox News, she said that “I’m pro-life, pro-Second Amendment, pro-wall, and pro-Trump, and I won’t apologize for it.”

Taylor, meanwhile, said on Tuesday that she is looking for “folks who could go toe-to-toe with people like AOC and her ‘Squad.’”

“We need somebody who can convince my generation and others that more government is not the answer. More government is the problem,” she said. “More government is not what we need. ... We’ve got to get back to our fundamental values. Our freedom is at stake here,” Taylor added.

Reps. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.), Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.), Ayanna Pressley (D-Mass.), and Rashida Tlaib (D-Mich.) speak at a press conference at the U.S. Capitol on July 15, 2019. Holly Kellum/NTD

“We are small-town Alabama and looking forward to representing the people of this district. [Socialism] concerns me greatly and that’s why I’m running,” she told Fox, adding that the United States “was founded on small business, and private citizens who can make a difference.”

According to the Montgomery Advertiser, she owns Azimuth, a consulting firm that works with companies to secure grants, and also has a law degree from the Thomas Goode Jones School of Law at Faulkner University.

Her company’s website biography said that Taylor “got her start writing and managing grants while working in the Alabama Governor’s Office of Faith-based and Community Initiatives.”

Five other Republicans have declared their candidacy after Roby announced she would step down. They include Alabama Attorney General Troy King, Rep. Will Dismukes, former Rep. Barry Moore, business owner Jeff Coleman, and former police officer Bob Rogers.

The Cook Political Report noted that the seat is solidly Republican, and no Democrats have declared their candidacy for it.

Taylor is also the first female Republican to announce her bid for Roby’s seat, WSFA reported.