How did Allison Montgomery become Alabama's first trans lawmaker? By running on the issues, she says

Almost overnight, Allison Montgomery made national news as word spread about her historic victory Tuesday. She became the first openly transgender person elected to the Alabama Legislature.

Montgomery flipped a Madison County seat held by Republican pharmacist Phillip Rigsby, beating the incumbent by 7 percentage points.

But while Montgomery is prepared to take on the role, she told APR she really just wants to represent her district like any other lawmaker elected this week.

“I’m already tired of hearing the word ‘historic,’” Montgomery said with a laugh. “People across the political spectrum seem to be making a big deal out of the trans thing, but that’s not why I ran for this seat. I felt a calling to be a public servant, and now I’m gonna do my best for all of us, regardless of how you voted or what you think of my gender. Because ultimately, I meant what I said in this campaign and I meant what I outlined in my platform—so I’d like to see other folks steer things back to substantive policy discussions, too, just like I’ve been doing.”

As word spread across social media from Tuesday night into Wednesday, many people celebrated while some far-right accounts expressed dismay. Several accounts claiming to belong to Alabama residents said they didn’t know a transgender person was running for office.

But far-right outlets in the state had drawn attention to the race. Alabama Republican Party Chair Scott Stadthagen had called both Montgomery and Terri Osborne, a transgender woman running in Baldwin County, mentally ill. Rigsby had told supporters that Montgomery’s trans identity would direct all of her policy decisions.

Montgomery’s victory comes after years of hostility toward transgender people in the Legislature, which has passed bills on a wide range of issues affecting them. Montgomery, an engineer by trade, volunteered with the Alabama Trans Rights Action Coalition and often spoke against those bills at public hearings. She said she was responding to attacks and would rather focus on anything else.

“I’m hoping for the best once I actually get in there. This is a Legislature that tried to make it illegal for me to walk down the street, and one that has made it illegal to prescribe life-saving drugs to kids with similar medical needs to myself,” Montgomery said. “And I know at least one legislator has vowed to try to strip me of my identification. And (Governor-elect Tommy Tuberville)—bless his heart, I hope that it’s all been a performance for him. If not, I’m gonna have to find some way to get him over his … obsession with folks like me. That stuff is all kinda back-burner for me, though. I don’t really care how they treat me; I’m tough. I just wanna do right by the people I’ve been chosen to serve, and I’m going to work my butt off to show them that I’m committed to all of our success, just like I’ve been saying all along.”

The issues Montgomery would rather be talking about are school funding, health care reform and policies opposing AI data centers.

“Some friends and I put together a really substantive and wide-reaching platform. We also positioned this campaign around strengthening rights for working people and against state surveillance and corruption,” Montgomery said. “I’m sure a lot of folks could spend a lot of time speculating on what exactly resonated with which people, but being a community organizer, I intend to just ask them. I want to keep talking to folks from here to the legislative session so that I actually represent the needs of the people I’m supposed to serve.”

It’s hard enough for a Democrat to get anything done in the Alabama House, where Republicans hold a supermajority. Montgomery acknowledged that being transgender could make it even harder.

“I think the way we begin that relationship is to find overlap in our platforms,” Montgomery said. “Maybe we can start by eliminating the grocery tax together, then move on to fully funding our public schools. No matter what, I want us to focus in and get the budget done before the last minute, for once. The Budget Isolation Resolution is such a cheap loophole, and it would be nice to see that loophole closed. I’m also going to try to introduce some anti-corruption measures, even though I don’t think anyone is going to go for it.”