Republican congressional candidate Robin Retaker met with the Second Amendment rights group BamaCarey in Tuscaloosa on Monday. Retaker is the Republican candidate for Alabama's 7th Congressional District, challenging incumbent Rep. Terri Sewell (D-Birmingham).

“I'm doing this for everyone,” Litaker said. “I'm a former teacher and principal and I've lived in Terri Sewell's district for over 30 years and I'm sick of it.”

Retaker won the Republican nomination after his Republican opponent dropped out of the race, while Sewell had a Democratic opponent, and Retaker struggled to raise money to challenge the seven-term incumbent.

Retaker had raised just $8,224.25 through March 31 (the most recent Federal Election Commission report), spent $5,969.15 on the primary election and had $2,255.10 cash on hand in April.

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Meanwhile, Rep. Sewell entered the race with $2,895,932.32 and had raised an additional $2,031,082.68 by March 31. Rep. Sewell spent $1,281,941.99 on the primary, leaving him with $3,645,072.76 in cash to spend in the general election against Retaker.

Retaker acknowledged the challenges of campaign finance.

“We're a grassroots movement and we need your help,” Sewell said. “We're not a big-money movement. We need your help and support. We have to rally the troops.”

Democrats have won every election in the 7th Congressional District since it was redistricted as a minority-majority district. Democratic Representatives Arthur Davis and Earl Hilliard Sr. both represented the district prior to Sewell's election in 2010.

“Conservative votes feel like they don't matter, but they do,” Litaker argues. “This is my David and Goliath moment. Goliath laughed at David, the Philistines laughed at David, but what's less discussed is that Goliath's own people laughed at David, the king laughed at David, even his own brother laughed at David.” The biblical story of David and Goliath is found in 1 Samuel 17 of the Old Testament.

“We can flip this district, and we're going to flip it,” Retaker said. “You don't have to worry about how I vote on national issues.”

“When you call my office, someone answers the phone,” Litaker said, “and if you're lucky enough to go from seven to four, you want to be back by the time we hang up.”

“My entire campaign is going to be run by volunteers,” Retaker said.

A Bama Carry member asked if the Second Amendment would be revoked. “They're not going to do anything to the Second Amendment, because I have your support,” Retaker said.

“We're going to abolish the Department of Education,” Retaker said. “By the time the money goes back to the districts, they're lucky to get 15 cents back. And what's more, the Department of Education wants to control how it's spent.”

“Paul Hubbard (the late AEA executive director) hated me because I started an independent teachers' group,” said Litaker, a former teacher of the year.

Retaker, a former teacher and principal, said redistricting has made the 7th District more favorable for Republicans.

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