Sylvia Swayne has heard it all before as she has been running in the District 55 seat in the Alabama House of Representatives.

The 26-year-old is a transgender woman, a Montgomery transplant who’s only lived in the district about a year and a half. But she embraces her differences as she faces Travis Hendrix on Tuesday in a runoff to determine who represents a district that stretches from less affluent places such as Wylam and parts of Fairfield in the west to more affluent Highland Park, where Swayne lives, in the east.

“Being in a military family, I’ve been a transplant my whole life,” she said. “But it’s important to know that I chose this. I chose Birmingham. I found my home in Birmingham. I grew up in an environment where I didn’t feel like I belonged. Being in Birmingham, and especially in District 55, I know I belong here.

“That’s why I’m running,” Swayne continued. “I’m not ashamed of not being from here because that’s been my whole life of being a military (kid). But I chose this and I’m here. And that’s, I think, more important than anything else.”

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Read Swayne’s bio

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Swayne, who is a quality assurance manager, was a Senate page when she was a student at Alabama Christian Academy but she never saw herself running for public office. A life in politics has not been a career aspiration, she said.

She’s running, she said, in response to a calling.

“I know the issues. I know how the Legislature works,” Swayne said. “Just seeing everything that happened in this past legislative session in general, where I just felt, if I don’t do this, who’s going to do this? Who’s gonna be in their 20s running for office in this special election? It just really felt like, now or never.

“It’s less about me wanting to be in office and to be a politician but wanting to do my part,” she said, “and to change the conversation.”

Nonetheless, she’s drawn much attention – and endorsements – from people who are in politics. Most recently, she’s gotten the nod from the Rev. Gwendolyn Webb, civil rights activist and faith leader; Leaders We Deserve, a new organization supporting a slate of progressive, young legislators across the nation; Equality South; LGBTQ+ Victory Fund; LPAC; and Black Lives Matter Birmingham co-founder and former House District 55 candidate Cara McClure.

Swayne said the LBGTQ+ community has been held up as a “boogeyman,” distracting residents from real concerns.

“We have so many issues facing the district and the state,” she said. “Whether it’s our education system, or access to health care, or our workforce participation rates. We need to focus on those issues. We need to work together and unify. The overall goal is to create unity, to show folks that we can do this. We just have to work together and demand better from our legislators.”

At 26, Swayne said she brings a fresh perspective, a bold perspective.

“I have had conversations that have been tough with voters,” she said. “I’m not afraid of those conversations. Being able to go to the state House and debate on the House floor is an incredibly important aspect of the job. I believe I am qualified in that sense. I have a history of organizing, a history of being politically minded and politically aware.”

Swayne said she’s heard the criticisms, that the majority of District 55 is Black and not as affluent as her Highland Park neighbors. But she said it’s less about who she is and where she lives and more about what she values.

“It’s about the importance of community and the importance of unity,” she said. “I can recognize that my experiences are different, but I want us all to have opportunity. I want us all to work together and make sure that there isn’t that much of a difference in the socioeconomic opportunities of folks on the east side and the west side.

“We’ve got to invest in the west side of the district,” Swayne continued. “Why not build a bridge? Why not break bread? Let’s have conversations. Why not work together and allow me to work alongside the community? I own that I’m different and I want to focus on how we can move all of us forward together. How do we make this district more equitable?”

With seven people running for the Democratic nomination during the special election for the seat, Hendrix got 27.91% of the vote and Swayne got 21.45%.

No Republicans qualified for the race, so whichever candidate wins Tuesday’s runoff is likely to become the new representative.

Swayne has raised $137,035, after a more than $50,000 contribution last week from Leaders We Deserve. She had spent $61,335 49,987 as of Thursday.

Sylvia Swayne’s PAC Donations

Leaders We Deserve: $54,325.00

LPAC: $1,000