Doug Jones

A celebrated prosecutor who brought long-overdue justice to the victims of the 16^th Street Baptist Church bombing, Senator Doug Jones has built his career on fighting “impossible” battles. In 2017, he shocked the political establishment by winning a special election to fill a U.S. Senate seat in Alabama – the first Democrat to do so in 25 years in the state. On Capitol Hill, he quickly built a reputation as a well-regarded and effective legislator, passing more than two dozen bipartisan bills into law in just three years.

As the only state-wide federally elected Democrat in the Deep South during his term, Jones gave hope for the first time in a generation to an overlooked – but growing – demographic of Americans. Despite the perceived political risks, Jones was unapologetic in addressing the toughest issues of the day, including using his maiden speech on the Senate floor to call for gun policy reforms. Often under tremendous pressure to take politically motivated votes, Jones frequently bucked the pundits to vote his conscience, whether it was voting to convict President Trump in his first impeachment trial or voting against the confirmation of Justice Brett Kavanaugh. He also established the annual tradition of a bipartisan reading of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s Letter from a Birmingham Jail in the Senate chamber, and has been an outspoken Southern voice in support of racial justice and equity.

His brand of common-sense, “kitchen table” politics has resonated across the South, paving the way for more competitive elections and energizing grassroots efforts. He has also earned bipartisan praise from his fellow lawmakers as well as top awards from the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, the Military Officers Association of America, the National Rural Health Association, and more. Today, he also serves a contributor for CNN and is a Fellow at the Institute of Politics and Public Service at Georgetown University’s McCourt School of Public Policy.

His book, Bending Toward Justice: The Birmingham Church Bombing that Changed the Course of Civil Rights, provides a look behind the scenes of Jones’ landmark prosecution of two of the former Klansmen responsible for the 1963 16^th Street Baptist Church bombings that took the lives of four Black girls. In the years since the end of his term as U.S. Attorney, Jones has traveled the country to deliver a powerful, sought-after presentation about the cases to businesses, legal associations, school groups, and more.

With a candid and thoughtful approach, Jones offers his audiences a front-row seat to navigating today’s Congress on diverse issues ranging from education and immigration to criminal justice and national security.