Democrat Flips GOP-Held Alabama Seat, Electing State's First Transgender Lawmaker

Democrat Allison Montgomery defeated Republican incumbent Phillip Rigsby by about 53% to 47% in Alabama House District 25, flipping a seat Republicans had held for at least two decades and becoming the state’s first openly transgender legislator. The Huntsville-area software engineer campaigned on affordability, education, health care, worker protections and opposing local data-center projects. Despite attacks from Republican officials targeting her gender identity, Montgomery said voters should focus on policy and argued that culture-war disputes distract from economic concerns. She was among several Democrats who flipped Alabama legislative seats in the 2026 midterm elections.