Alabama has elected its first openly transgender lawmaker, with Democrat Allison Montgomery winning a state House of Representatives seat in District 25. The 32-year-old software engineer defeated Republican incumbent Phillip Rigsby by a 6.5-point margin.
Montgomery received just over 53 percent of the vote, securing a victory in a district that covers parts of Madison County, including sections of Madison and Huntsville. While Madison County voted for Republican presidential candidates in recent elections, it shifted to the Democratic party in the midterms.
In a statement following the race's confirmation, Montgomery emphasized her platform, which included affordability, public school funding, healthcare, worker protections, and anti-corruption measures. "We showed that a truly grassroots campaign that stands on its policies and its principles has a real shot in Alabama," she stated. "We the people are tired of attempts to distract us with culture war issues, whether we’re in a minority group or not."
Montgomery faced opposition and personal attacks during her campaign, including comments from Scott Stadthagen, chair of the Alabama Republican Party and a state house representative. Stadthagen reportedly referred to Montgomery and another transgender candidate as having "mental disorders" and expressed disapproval of transgender women dressing in front of minors. Montgomery responded on social media, calling his remarks "just plain prejudice" and hypocritical.
She argued that focusing on her gender identity was a distraction from governance. "Ask yourselves: if I hadn’t transitioned, would gas be cheaper? Would your utilities be cheaper? Would groceries be more affordable? Would your medical debt go away? Would your rent stop getting higher?" Montgomery posted.
In her victory statement, Montgomery pledged to "work especially hard for those who hate me, because they deserve a better Alabama as much as anyone." She plans to take a brief rest before outlining legislative priorities for her term, which begins in January.