Former U.S. Sen. Doug Jones will return to Baldwin County on Sunday, May 18, to lead a public Community Dialogue event aimed at fostering open conversation across political lines.

A news release said the event will take place from 5 to 6 p.m. at Daphne Cowork, 25369 U.S. 98 E, Unit K. Doors open at 4:45 p.m.

Hosted and moderated by Jason Fisher, a 2017 U.S. Senate candidate and former staffer to Jones, the hourlong forum is free to attend and open to the public. No RSVP is required, but seating is limited and available on a first-come, first-served basis.

Jones, who served Alabama in the Senate from 2018 to 2021 after winning a special election, plans to answer questions and share insight drawn from decades in public service. His resume includes working as staff counsel for the late Sen. Howell Heflin and serving as U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Alabama under President Bill Clinton. During his Senate term, Jones sponsored or co-sponsored more than two dozen bipartisan bills that became law. In 2020, he received the Jefferson-Hamilton Award for Bipartisanship from the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.

Fisher said the event comes at a critical time as residents face growing concerns over sweeping federal policy shifts.

“The sweeping changes at the federal level proposed by this administration are unprecedented,” Fisher said in the release. “These deep budget cuts will be felt across the political spectrum. The attempt to rapidly defund entire departments - from disaster response and weather research to eliminating federal oversight and funding of our children’s public school education - has led to considerable fear and confusion within every constituency residing in our communities.”

Fisher added that transparency and accessibility from leaders are more important now than ever.

“Right now, in a time of considerable angst and a lack of transparency about how these decisions are being made, we need our leaders to make themselves readily available to folks in Baldwin County and across Alabama so they can better understand the impact of the changes. I’m thankul that Senator Jones is taking time out of his schedule to hold this event and help our communities understand what is happening within their government.”