Democrat Jessie Barcala knows the party label beside his name could be a hurdle in his campaign for Alabama House District 5.

But the retired military bomb technician and federal employee says his background in national security and public service is helping him start conversations with voters who might not typically consider a Democrat.

“It has to do with my background, my background and honesty and transparency,” Barcala said in an interview with 256 Today.

Barcala spent 16 years as a military bomb technician between active duty and reserve service and later worked in federal service, including with the FBI and Transportation Security Administration.

“So immediately when I tell people, hey, you know, I disarm bombs, that kind of disarms them,” Barcala said. “And so they want to open up and listen to me.”

He said that connection is particularly important in North Alabama, with its large population of veterans, military families and people connected to Redstone Arsenal.

“It’s resonating with everybody because, you know, we have a huge military and veteran population here, especially in North Alabama with Redstone,” he said.

Barcala is challenging Republican state Rep. Danny Crawford for District 5, which includes portions of Limestone County, including East Athens, Tanner, Elkmont and Ardmore.

Barcala said affordability is among the biggest concerns he hears from voters, pointing to grocery and health care costs and wages he says have not kept pace.

“The biggest issues are affordability, and that’s across the state,” he said.

Health care is another major focus of his campaign. Barcala supports expanding Medicaid in Alabama, arguing that additional funding could help rural hospitals hire more doctors and nurses and preserve access to care.

He also pointed to his own experience using the Department of Veterans Affairs health care system, saying a recent appointment was scheduled about a year out.

“We just don’t have enough to be able to take care of our veteran families,” Barcala said.

‘Being present’

Barcala is also making accessibility a central argument in his challenge to Crawford.

He criticized the incumbent for what he views as a lack of visibility and direct engagement with constituents, including town halls and debates.

“For me, it’s being present, it’s being accountable,” Barcala said. “It’s putting information out there so that people know that I’m readily available.”

Barcala said his campaign is working to arrange a debate with Crawford.

He also said he has been attending political and community events across North Alabama, including events with other Democratic candidates and officeholders, as a way to meet more voters and hear directly from them.

Barcala said he believes there is renewed energy among Alabama Democrats this election cycle, pointing to the number of candidates challenging Republican incumbents around the state.

He said that matters to voters like his 26-year-old daughter, who told him that in previous elections she encountered races without a choice between the two major parties.

“If you look at the ballot now, you have a Democrat that is running against Republicans that they’ve never had before,” Barcala said.

He said many of those candidates come from backgrounds outside traditional politics.

“We have really great Democratic candidates that are out there—veterans, doctors, teachers,” Barcala said.

For Barcala, the challenge in District 5 is convincing voters to look beyond the letter beside his name and listen to the case he is making for the job.

“We want to earn people’s trust,” he said.

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