State Rep. Juandalynn Givan highlights her legislative record and voting-rights concerns in Alabama’s District 60 Democratic primary.
Juandalynn Givan is betting her record in the Alabama Legislature will carry her through the Democratic primary in House District 60, even as she frames the race as a test of experience and a fight over fundamental voting rights.
In an interview with Misryoum. the Birmingham Democrat said her priorities have stayed consistent over her 16 years in office. spanning education. public safety. criminal justice reform. and workforce development.. She pointed to the breadth of her district. which includes parts of Birmingham and surrounding communities. saying the needs of residents with different backgrounds and economic situations must be addressed through state budgeting decisions—particularly for school funding across Jefferson County.
Her argument is both policy-focused and political: Givan links everyday services to broader questions of representation, tying local legislative work to national concerns about voting access.
That theme sharpened when Misryoum asked about voting-rights protection.. Givan said she is paying close attention to a special session called by Gov.. Kay Ivey that centers on potential changes to Alabama’s voting maps after a U.S.. Supreme Court decision.. She characterized voting rights as a top priority. arguing that reapportionment and representation issues affect Black communities and the communities she represents.
For voters, that connection matters because it reframes a state House primary as part of a larger national debate over how districts are drawn and who gets to choose their representatives.
Givan also went on the offensive toward two challengers in the Democratic primary: Alicia Escott Lumpkin and Nina Taylor.. She said they lack the legislative experience necessary to understand the job’s responsibilities and cited what she described as the constitutional duties of lawmakers.. In her view. opponents are not prepared to handle core legislative work tied to the general fund and education trust fund budgets.
She further claimed her challengers are “obsessed” with her. portraying the campaign as more about attention to her than about presenting a serious alternative platform.. Givan described herself as an incumbent who is “unbossed and unbought. ” emphasizing independence from special interests and arguing that her focus remains on constituents rather than outside agendas.
At stake in District 60 is not only who voters want in Montgomery. but also the direction they believe Alabama should take on education funding priorities. public safety. and voting-rights protection.. That is why experience—and how it is framed—may be as decisive in this primary as any single policy promise.
In laying out her accomplishments. Givan pointed to actions she says she has pursued during her time in office. including opposition to efforts tied to Birmingham Water Works and Sewer Board closure. work related to illegal ticket practices. steps to address domestic violence. and expanded Sunday liquor sales in Birmingham.. The Misryoum interview also featured her argument that continuity is what many constituents want.
The Democratic primary is scheduled for May 19, when Givan will face Lumpkin and Taylor. For now, her message to voters is straightforward: if the district is looking for change, she argues, it should not be at the expense of the legislative work she says she has already delivered.