Alabama elects first out trans lawmaker
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The gist
Democrat Allison Montgomery defeated Republican incumbent Phillip Rigsby 53.2% to 46.7% in Alabama's House District 25.
Her win flips a Huntsville-area seat in a state with restrictive trans laws.
Background
Allison Montgomery is a software engineer and transgender-rights advocate who led the Alabama Trans Rights Action Coalition before running; she won the 2026 Democratic primary against Damon Eubanks. Phillip Rigsby is the Republican incumbent who had held the Huntsville-area District 25 seat for one term. The race drew attention because Alabama's legislature has been a focal point for debates over LGBTQ+ rights, including policies on trans people in schools and healthcare, and because Montgomery's win would be a statewide first.
How it unfolded
- 2022Rigsby had represented District 25 since 2022; that year Alabama's then-only out gay lawmaker, state representative Neil Rafferty, urged colleagues to reconsider a bill criminalizing crucial medical care for trans youth.
- Oct 2026Rigsby attacked Montgomery's trans identity at the Madison County Republican Party's annual barbecue, saying it changed "everything" by bringing "fourth-grade students" visiting her office into the equation.
- Oct 26, 2026Montgomery fired back at the attack; Rigsby said he didn't want to personally attack his opponent but wanted people to know she would become Alabama's first transgender lawmaker if elected.
- Nov 3, 2026Montgomery defeated Rigsby with 12,456 votes (53.2%) to 10,929 (46.7%), a lead of about 1,527 votes, with all precincts reporting.
- Nov 4, 2026Her win was reported as making her Alabama's first out transgender state lawmaker. Alabama Republicans lost three legislative seats but kept supermajorities — 24 of 35 Senate seats and 74 of 105 House seats.
Who’s saying what
- Party
- Montgomery said a truly grassroots campaign standing on its policies and principles has a real shot in Alabama, and that voters are tired of culture-war distractions used to pit people against each other.
- Caution
- Rigsby said he didn't want to personally attack his opponent but wanted voters to know she would become Alabama's first transgender lawmaker if elected.
- Official
- Senate President Pro Tem Garlan Gudger said his goal was to preserve the Republican majority despite national political headwinds.
Still unverified
The vote results are described as unofficial figures from the Alabama Secretary of State's election data; one source says official returns reported by local news outlets confirm her win.