Madison County elects Alabama's first openly gay sheriff
Democrats defeated Republican incumbents in both races, marking firsts for LGBTQ representation in Alabama’s sheriffs’ offices and the state Legislature.
Alabama Equality celebrated two milestones for LGBTQ representation in Alabama after Democrats Brett Jones and Allison Montgomery defeated Republican incumbents Tuesday. Montgomery became the first openly transgender person elected to the Alabama Legislature, and Alabama Equality said Jones will become the state’s first openly gay sheriff.
Jones won the Madison County sheriff’s race with 84,068 votes to Sheriff Kevin Turner’s 74,639, according to unofficial returns. Montgomery won House District 25 with 12,456 votes to Representative Phillip Rigsby’s 10,929. The district includes parts of Madison and Limestone counties.
“Alabama made history on Tuesday,” Alabama Equality Chairwoman Patricia Todd said in a statement. “The victories of Brett Jones and Allison Montgomery demonstrate that voters are increasingly focused on who can best serve their communities, not on who they love or how they identify.”
Jones, a former Navy SEAL who has worked as a police officer in Madison County, campaigned on making the sheriff’s office more transparent. He called for independent, public reviews of deaths in custody and higher training standards for deputies.
Montgomery, a software engineer and advocate for transgender rights, won her seat 20 years after Todd became Alabama’s first openly gay elected official. Todd won Birmingham’s House District 54 in 2006.
Alabama Equality credited volunteers, advocates and voters with helping elect both candidates and said it looked forward to working with elected officials and community groups to advance equal rights for LGBTQ Alabamians.
