Sylvia Swayne and Travis Hendrix advance to Democratic runoff in House District 55
Democratic voters went to the polls on Tuesday in the House District 55 special Democratic primary, and Travis Hendrix received the most votes. Sylvia Swayne narrowly beat out Phyllis E. Holden-Jones for second place and a spot in the special Democratic primary runoff on October 24. This vacancy in the Alabama House of Representatives was due to the resignation of Rep. Fred Plump (D-Fairfield) after he entered a plea deal in a federal corruption probe that has rocked the Alabama Legislature. Travis Hendrix received 670 votes (27.91%) in this crowded Democratic primary field. Sylvia Swayne had 515 votes (21.45%), earning her a spot in the runoff by just 30 votes. Oden-Jones received 485 votes (20.20%) in her third-place finish. Cara McClure received 364 votes (15.16%). Ves Marable received 180 votes (7.50%). Former Tarrant Mayor Kenneth Coachman received 106 votes (4.41%). Antwon Bernard Womack received 81 votes (3.37%). These are the preliminary vote counts available from the Secretary of State’s office when Alabama Today went to print and are subject to change. The provisional ballots still have to be considered, so the vote totals could change. Hendrix is a former school resource officer. He has the endorsements of Birmingham Mayor Randall Woodfin, House Minority Leader Anthony Daniels (D-Huntsville), the Alabama Forestry Association, and more groups. “I was born and raised in Ensley’s Tuxedo Court Public Housing Community,” Hendrix said on his website. “Today, Tuxedo Terrace housing community stands in place of the old Tuxedo Court, affectionately known as “the Brickyard.” Growing up in this area exposed me to the harsh realities faced by many residents, but it also instilled in me the values of service, sacrifice, and the power of prayer, thanks to the strong influence of my grandmother.” “I pursued my education at Ensley High School and later completed a GED program,” Hendrix continued. “I then attended Miles College and went on to earn my bachelor’s degree. I then furthered my education, and I obtained a master’s degree from Oakland City University. Alongside my educational journey, I take immense pride in being a devoted father, an active member of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc., and a law enforcement officer. I have served as a school resource officer and on a task force dedicated to the public housing community. I take public safety seriously. Throughout my life, I have consistently pushed beyond established standards and exceeded expectations. I firmly believe that District 55 deserves a leader who possesses both the capabilities and the unwavering determination to advocate for change. I am committed to tirelessly fighting until our shared vision for the community is realized.” Swayne was the only white candidate in the crowded primary field and, if elected, would be the only openly trans person to ever be elected in the state of Alabama. Swayne has the support of the LGBTQ+ community, including former State Rep. Patricia Todd. Swayne is extremely popular on TikTok. Swayne is a 2019 graduate of the University of Alabama. “Part of the reason I’m running is this idea that trans people and drag queens and other members of the LGBT community are this threat to society, and that is purely artificially injected into the conversation,” Swayne told Teen Vogue. “Whether or not people support us as trans people is not my concern. My concern is while they’re using the trans community, and the LGBT community at large, to distract all of us, they’re leaving the rest of Alabama behind. We all lose when we engage in divisive politics and pointing fingers at one group while disenfranchising another.” The October 24 Democratic primary runoff will likely decide this race. There was no special Republican primary in HD55, and there was no Republican candidate in the general election. Jefferson County Republican Party Chairman Chris Brown said on Tuesday night at the Jefferson County GOP meeting in Homewood, “We tried to recruit a candidate” and couldn’t. Brown and Republican Minority GOP Chairman Phillip Brown said Tuesday night that they met with a prospective candidate they tried to recruit but failed to convince him to run in the heavily Democratic majority-minority district. They told executive committee members that they are actively looking for a candidate in neighboring House District 52, where the incumbent is John Rogers (D-Birmingham) is 83 years old and “tied up in the same corruption scandal as Plump.” Plump has admitted receiving hundreds of thousands of dollars in community improvement grants for a rec league that he ran from Rogers. Plump admitted then paying roughly half of that money to Rogers’ longtime legislative assistant, Varrie Johnson Kindall, with whom he claims was romantically involved. Ms. Kindall is facing 21 federal indictments for her role in this alleged corruption conspiracy. “We don’t know that there is going to be an opening (in HD52), but we want to be ready if there is,” Chris Brown said. At this point, Rep. Rogers has not been indicted and has denied any wrongdoing. The eventual winner in HD55 will serve for the remainder of Plump’s term and will have to face the voters in 2026 like the rest of the Alabama Legislature. To connect with the author of this story or to comment, email brandonmreporter@gmail.com.
Democratic Primary in House District 55 is Tuesday
Democratic voters in House District 55 go to the polls on Tuesday to elect their candidate to fill the vacancy created by the resignation of State Representative Fred Plump (D-Fairfield). Kenneth Coachman, Travis Hendrix, Ves Marable, Cara McClure, Phyllis E. Oden-Jones, Sylvia Swayne, and Antwon Bernard Womack are all running in the special Democratic primary. This is likely a winner-take-all primary as no Republican qualified in this Birmingham area majority-minority district. Kenneth Coachman is the former Mayor of Fairfield. He was elected as Mayor in 2008 and re-elected in 2012. Fairfield was hit hard by the Great Recession, and even Wal-Mart moved out of the city. Coachman works at Miles College as the chief of staff to the President. Travis Hendrix has a degree from Miles College and a master’s degree from Oakland City University. He is a former school resource officer and served on a task force dedicated to the public housing community. Birmingham Mayor Randall Woodfin, the Business Council of Alabama (BCA), and House Minority Leader Anthony Daniels have all endorsed Hendrix. Ves Marable is a musician. He has a bachelor’s degree from Alabama State University and a doctorate from UAB. He has held a number of major positions with state government, including serving on the Pardons and Parole Board. He has served on the Fairfield City Council. Marable has been endorsed by the powerful Alabama Democratic Conference as well as the Progressive Democratic Council and the United Mine Workers of America. Sylvia Swayne is the first openly trans candidate in the state of Alabama. He identifies as a woman. Sylvia is endorsed by LPAC, the nation’s leading organization dedicated to electing lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) women and nonbinary people to public office, and by former State Rep. Patricia Todd. Swayne has 30,000 followers on TikTok. Swayne has a degree from the University of Alabama. Cara McClure founded the nonprofit Faith & Works, whose goal is to bridge the gap between the faith community and social activists. She co-founded the Birmingham chapter of Black Lives Matter. She worked for Bernie Sanders during his 2016 presidential campaign. She studied at Jacksonville State and Alabama State. Phyllis E. Oden-Jones is a retired Birmingham Police senior detective. She is a veteran politician who has served on the Fairfield City Council. She has a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice from UAB. Antwon Bernard Womack is a perennial candidate. Womack has a Master’s in business administration from Dartmouth College’s Amos Tuck School of Business Administration and a bachelor’s in economics from Yale University. He has some experience as a union organizer. Tuesday at 5:00 p.m. is also the deadline for any independent or minor party candidates to turn in all of their filled-in paperwork, including the necessary ballot access petitions, to the Secretary of State office. Rep. Plump resigned after he pleaded guilty to corruption charges involving kickbacks to a longtime legislative aide for State Rep. John Rogers (D-Birmingham). The polls open at 7:00 a.m. on Tuesday and close at 7:00 p.m. HD55 voters who wish to participate in this special election must bring a valid photo ID to the polls. There is no same-day registration in Alabama, and voters must vote only at the polling place they are assigned. The special general election will be on January 9. If necessary, there will be a special Democratic primary on October 24. This is one of three open seats in the Alabama House of Representatives. To connect with the author of this story or to comment, email brandonmreporter@gmail.com.
