In potentially competitive Huntsville-area House seat, candidates look to healthcare, education

Apr 28, 2026 | 8:01 am ET

By Anna Barrett

In potentially competitive Huntsville-area House seat, candidates look to healthcare, education

Voters in western Huntsville will choose between Democratic candidate Allison Montgomery and incumbent Rep. Phillip Rigsby, R-Monrovia, in November. A second Democrat, Damon Eubanks, suspended his campaign on April 26, 2026. (photos by Anna Barrett and Brian Lyman/Alabama Reflector; graphic by Anna Barrett)

A Huntsville-area Alabama House seat could be one of the more competitive ones in the state this fall, as voters choose between incumbent Rep. Phillip Rigsby, R-Monrovia, and presumptive Democratic nominee Allison Montgomery.

House District 25 covers mostly Madison County and a small part of Limestone County. The district is considered a priority race for the Alabama Democratic Party due to Huntsville’s growth over the last decade. Rigsby took 57.9% of votes in 2022, according to election results. But in 2024, President Donald Trump won the district by 5.3%, compared to a 30-point win statewide, according to an estimation by Madison County data analyst Jackson Hannan using precinct-level voting data.

Damon Eubanks, another Democrat that qualified to run for the seat in January, suspended his campaign Sunday night through a Facebook post.

“While this was not an easy decision, personal, family, and professional responsibilities have made it clear that I cannot give this campaign the time and focus it deserves,” the statement read. “I entered this race because I care deeply about our community and believe District 25 deserves leadership that will stand up for working families, strong public schools, affordable healthcare, and greater opportunity for all.”

Eubanks endorsed Montgomery in the post, and pledged to campaign for other Democrats in north Alabama. Montgomery said in a phone interview Monday evening that Eubanks texted her wishing her well on Sunday.

“I had made sure to build up that relationship because either way it went, we both wanted to make Alabama better for everyone,” Montgomery said.

Eubanks said in a phone interview Monday evening that he got a promotion in January that turned out to be more demanding of his time than expected, which ultimately led to his decision to suspend his campaign.

“I didn’t want to wait until a primary had happened, and potentially leave us without an option,” the Army veteran and defense contractor at Redstone Arsenal said.

He said that he decided to run because he was frustrated with a lack of options on the ballot, and he may run again in the future.

“I still feel motivated to do something, and I’m not going to sit idly by,” he said. “I’m going to help Allison and other Democratic candidates try to flip some seats. I think we definitely need to hear some other voices in Montgomery, and in Washington.”

The candidates

Montgomery, 32, said in a recent interview that she thought about running for office since she got involved with legislative advocacy through the Alabama Transgender Rights Action Coalition (ALTRAC) in 2023.

“I’ve been doing grassroots civil rights legislative advocacy for three years now, four legislative sessions, and we have been largely successful in getting folks to contact their representatives,” the software engineer said.

If elected, she said she wants to focus on “smarter” budgets, protecting public education and addressing the healthcare crisis.

“If all the rural hospitals close in the county surrounding Madison County, where are folks gonna go? If you are in Huntsville and you care more about your own area than the surrounding area, you should care about the surrounding area too because that is going to overload our healthcare system,” she said.

Montgomery said she sees running for office as a call to service for the people, rather than listening to special interest groups that fund other campaigns.

“I would love to get people on the same page about uplifting everyone in the state, regardless of where they live, regardless of their income level,” Montgomery said. “This is not a money-making venture for me. This is a calling into service.”

Rigsby, 49, said in a phone interview Monday that he is running for re-election to continue work he and his colleagues have done in the Legislature in his first term.

“We did a lot of good work in the four years that we were there by cutting taxes and improving school access and supporting our law enforcement first responders,” the pharmacist said. “But Huntsville continues to grow, and Huntsville needs strong leadership for our roads and for our schools. I want to continue to take the leadership that I’ve gained there in the House and continue to work for the people of District 25 and for the rest of the state as well.”

In his second term, Rigsby said he wants to focus on improving infrastructure in Huntsville as the population grows, supporting teachers and ensuring access to healthcare.

“We’ve got to continue to work on healthcare access, making sure that our providers are paid fairly, making sure that we’re recruiting the right people and retaining the right people,” he said.

In his first term, Rigsby carried SB 252, sponsored by Sen. Billy Beasley, D-Clayton, in the House, named the “Community Pharmacy Relief Act.” The law sought to address concerns from independent pharmacies over reimbursement rates and business practices that critics said drove many out of business. Most of Rigsby’s filed legislation surrounds pharmacists or healthcare.

“The relationships that I’ve made in Montgomery, the relationships that I’ve made in our district with our local leadership, our county leadership, our city leadership, that goes a long way with being effective,” he said. “I’m already hitting the ground running when it comes to those things. I’m not having to start over like a new candidate or a new elected official would.”

Campaign fundraising

As of Monday, Montgomery has raised about $4,500, more than half of which was her own money. All of her donations have come from individuals. She has spent about $2,300, according to campaign finance records.

Rigsby started with about $41,500 before the 2026 election cycle, and has raised almost $114,000 as of Monday. Most of Rigsby’s campaign contributions come from political action committees (PACs), followed by individuals and the least amount of donations come from businesses. He has spent almost $53,000, according to campaign finance records.

How to vote

Ballots have already been printed, as absentee voting has begun. The deadline to register to vote in the primary is May 4. Voters in District 25 may still cast a ballot for other offices on May 19, but votes for Eubanks will not be counted according to a spokeswoman for the Alabama Secretary of State’s Office. Polls are open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Polling locations can be found here.

Meet the Candidates