The combined efforts of the Human Rights Campaign, Gay and Lesbian Victory Fund, Equality Alabama, and hundreds of Alabama Human Rights Campaign members as voters elected Patricia Todd to serve as the state representative in District 54. Todd becomes the state’s first open lesbian to serve in the Alabama state Legislature. Todd won the race by a razor thin margin of 70 votes, which underscores that every call, every email, and every conversation mattered and made a difference.

“From big cities to small towns, from blue states to red states—equality is winning,” said Human Rights Campaign President Joe Solmonese. “We were proud to join the efforts of Equality Alabama and the Victory Fund in helping fair-minded voters get out to the ballot box..” He said Representative Todd was supported by an intense ground effort that involved a broad group of supporters.

“We knew this election would be close, and we reached out to our local network of supporters,” Solmonese continued. More than 200 Human Rights Campaign members alone live in the 54th District, and HRC staff called every one of them. They also contacted their members in Alabama and urged them to call their friends and families in Birmingham to remind them to vote.”

Human Rights Campaign Regional Field Director Sarah Scanlon traveled to Alabama and joined HRC members in canvassing the area with get-out-the-vote messages. Scanlon spent days leading up to the election in the state organizing and supporting the coalition efforts in Birmingham.