Alabama elects first transgender woman as Allison Montgomery defeats Republican in District 25

Allison Montgomery makes history as Alabama's first openly transgender woman elected to the state legislature after winning District 25. Allison Montgomery has made history in Alabama after winning the election for State House District 25. She became the first openly transgender woman to be elected to the Alabama state legislature.Allison Montgomery wins Alabama District 25 election, becoming the state's first openly transgender woman in the legislature. (Allison Montgomery Facebook account/Representative image) (Allison Montgomery Facebook account)Montgomery, a Democrat, defeated Republican incumbent Phillip Rigsby in the November 3, 2026, election. The contest took place in the Huntsville area of Alabama.Allison Montgomery makes history in Alabama state electionMontgomery received 53.2% of the votes, while Rigsby secured 46.7%, according to Alabama Political Reporter. All precincts had reported in the results cited by the publication. Her victory is significant because District 25 has traditionally supported Republican candidates. Rigsby had represented the district since 2022.Who is Allison Montgomery? Her background and campaign promisesDeep DiveMontgomery is from Huntsville, Alabama. She works as a software engineer supporting Redstone Arsenal, a US Army installation in Huntsville. She also has experience as a grassroots political organiser, according to her campaign biography.Also read: US midterm election results: States which flipped blueBefore entering the election, Montgomery had already spent four years working on political issues in Alabama. She said she had studied proposed laws, organised people and worked with lawmakers to oppose bills that she believed were harmful to the community.Montgomery's victory came despite facing attacks over her gender identity during the election campaign. The Alabama Political Reporter said Republican opponent Phillip Rigsby repeatedly targeted her gender identity in the final days of the campaign.In her official campaign message, Montgomery said she was ready to represent her constituents from her first day in office. She also said Alabama residents deserved good governance and a government that worked to reduce the difficulties faced by ordinary people.Durva More is a Senior Content Producer at Hindustan Times, where she covers finance, and global news. She brings experience across digital and television journalism, with a strong focus on breaking news, business reporting, and international affairs. Before joining Hindustan Times, Durva worked as an International News Writer at The Economic Times, covering a diverse range of subjects including global politics, business, sports, entertainment, and major world events. She also worked as a Business Reporter with NDTV Profit. A postgraduate diploma holder in Journalism from the Asian College of Journalism, Durva is passionate about field reporting and storytelling. She thrives on the adrenaline of chasing stories, speaking with people from different walks of life, and amplifying voices that deserve to be heard. Her reporting is driven by curiosity, accuracy, and a commitment to making complex subjects accessible to readers. When she is not chasing stories or covering breaking news, Durva enjoys reading books and painting. She loves exploring new ideas, meeting people, and learning about different perspectives. For her, both journalism and art are ways to understand the world and tell stories that matter.Read More