A buoyant crowd of friends, family, volunteers, city officials and mentees gathered Tuesday night at The Alcove Birmingham to celebrate GiGi Hayes’ win in the Democratic runoff for state House District 52.

“God is so good. I told y’all day one, this ain’t about a donkey. This ain’t about an elephant. This is about the Lamb of God,” Hayes trumpeted during her victory speech. “It’s time for a change, and I know what I’m supposed to be.”

Hayes, a lawyer and professor at Miles College, won 74.89% of the vote in her race against community organizer LaTonya Millhouse for the Democratic nomination to the seat, according to unofficial results reported by Jefferson County. No Republican is running for the office, making Hayes’ runoff win tantamount to a victory in November, barring an independent candidate staging a last-minute campaign. Incumbent Rep. Kelvin Datcher ran for reelection but came in third in the initial Democratic primary last month.

In the only other Jefferson County race on the runoff ballot, Brighton City Clerk Mykeshia Myles Jones bested incumbent Ron Marshall in the race for assistant tax collector in the Bessemer Division. Jones took 52.76% of the vote in the two-way race.

At the Alcove event center, Tiffany Nicole White, a student at Miles College who has worked as a paralegal, conveyed her excitement that Hayes, her mentor, may now also be her representative.

Local officials also made a show of support, including District 60 primary winner Alicia Scott Lumpkin and District 55 primary winner Travis Hendrix. Birmingham’s deputy director of the Office of Social Justice and Racial Equality, Josh Coleman, and community liaison for City Council District 6 under Councilor Crystal Smitherman, also joined in the festivities.

Herman Carnes Jr., mayor of Fairfield, and Fairfield Councilor Courtney Turner expressed enthusiasm that a potential partnership with Hayes could become an engine of change for the former steel boomtown. Fairfield residents, they indicated, may no longer need to look to the past for better days.

Hayes emerged at about 8:40 p.m. to announce her victory.

“I feel amazing. There’s no other word for it,” Hayes said, reflecting on her months on the campaign trail, “As I listened to people and heard more and more stories, and started to understand what some of the people in District 52 were dealing with, and knowing that I can be that solution, I feel amazing,”

Millhouse conceded the race in a statement on Facebook, saying, “Tonight, while the outcome was not what we hoped for, my heart is filled with gratitude.”

“Thank you to my family, friends, supporters, neighborhood officers, community leaders, volunteers, and neighbors throughout District 52 who believed in this campaign and stood with me every step of the way,” she continued.

Hayes said she decided to run for the House when she felt it would be “disobedient” to do otherwise. “This is where my grandchildren were. This is where my children are, and they deserve the best. Why not make it the best for all of the people around us?” she said.

“I think my ability to be relatable first of all, my ability to listen to research and show up and enjoy doing it, like this is going to be fun. I’m going to enjoy being able to do things for people. I’m going to enjoy listening to people and seek some problems. I used to think it was a curse, but I love being a solutionist.”