When Republican Aaron Thomas first entered the race for Alabama House District 10, he was a first-time candidate preparing to compete for one of the state’s most closely watched legislative seats.

After months of knocking on doors, Thomas said he has learned something about the district: Voters may be less interested in partisan politics than the national political climate would suggest.

“One of the things is that a lot of the people in this district, they haven’t given into the hyper-partisanship in national politics,” Thomas told 256 Today. “At the end of the day, like I mentioned earlier, they’re focused on the kitchen table issues, making sure that they can actually put food on the table for their families.”

Thomas, the Republican nominee challenging Democratic State Rep. Marilyn Lands, said affordability remains a persistent concern as residents contend with higher housing costs, interest rates and inflation.

“They’ve had a horrible one-two punch here with not only increased housing prices, but you have the interest rates that are associated with that and now also inflation,” he said. “People are really concerned trying to make sure that they have a good future for their families.”

But after months on the campaign trail, Thomas is also sharpening another part of his argument: North Alabama’s continued growth requires a representative who can effectively compete for state resources in Montgomery.

Thomas pointed to projections of significant population growth in the Huntsville-Madison area and the pressure that growth is placing on roads, schools and other infrastructure.

Thomas said securing a larger share of state infrastructure funding is particularly important as North Alabama continues to grow.

“Birmingham, they got $2.2 billion for their road system,” Thomas said. “And we got $192 million. We absolutely have to get our fair share because, again, it is a good investment for the rest of the state.”

He also specifically pointed to Madison City Schools, calling the system “the gem in the crown that is Madison County,” and said continued growth will require substantial investment in new school capacity.

“We have to keep our school system great,” Thomas said. “But at the current growth rate, we almost need to build one school every single year just to stay on top of that growth.”

Thomas said he believes having a Republican representing the district would give North Alabama a stronger voice when competing for infrastructure and education funding in the Republican-controlled Legislature.

“You have to have a Republican representative that can go down and explain why somebody from a southern Alabama county needs to let us have our turn at the watering trough, so to speak, to get some additional education dollars, to get the road dollars that we need,” he said.

District 10 stretches from County Line Road to South Memorial Parkway and from Interstate 565 south to the Tennessee River, with another portion extending through Madison. It includes Redstone Arsenal, Huntsville International Airport and the U.S. Space & Rocket Center.

Thomas readily acknowledges the district remains politically competitive.

“It is a swing district, let’s just be frank,” he said.

But he said his time talking with voters has reinforced his belief that the race will ultimately turn on local concerns rather than national political divisions.

“There are a lot of people that are frustrated with the rhetoric that’s come from the White House and national issues,” Thomas said. “But we need a local representative that will focus on local issues.”

And despite running to win the seat, Thomas said his commitment to the community does not depend entirely on the outcome in November.

“My reason in running is to try and help people, and you can help people even if you’re not elected,” he said. “For me, I still have a pretty clear focus on trying to make sure that I build a better future for my children here.”

The general election takes place on November 3, 2026.

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