HUNTSVILLE, Ala. — Marilyn Lands is a Huntsville native, a licensed professional counselor, and has a background in business and economic development. Now, as of this week, she's adding "Representative for Alabama House District 10" to her resume, and will be heading down to Montgomery in just a few days.
"I know a lot of the Madison County delegation and people from North Alabama who are down there," said Lands in a sit-down interview with FOX54. "And I already have good relationships with them. But I think people are ready for just somebody to come in with some positive energy and shake things up a little bit, but in a good way…"
In Tuesday's special election to replace ousted Rep. David Cole, Lands, who is a Democrat, defeated Republican Teddy Powell.
"I think we've been trending blue. I don't think anybody expected that, and we didn't expect to win by this much. And, you know, people are calling it a landslide, which I love because it kind of a pun, but I think it is a big moment for the state of Alabama. And I have heard so many people just in the past couple of days tell me how they have hope for Alabama again."
Lands 2024 campaign had a big focus on reproductive rights, and she shared her own story of getting an abortion two decades ago, after testing determined the baby had a genetic disorder and could not survive.
"It was very important to me because it's very personal," said the representative-elect. "And as I shared my story, I have heard from so many other women who have faced similar situations or had miscarriages, ectopic pregnancies. Then when our Supreme Court came out with the ruling on IVF treatment, the more stories began to come forward. It just seemed like everything lined up for this to be the issue of the moment."
With this legislative session already underway, Lands shared what she plans to do when she gets to the state house.
"I want to build strong relationships with everyone down there. I really want to be a champion for health care, particularly mental health care. I want to see us eliminate this grocery tax. Alabama's one of a handful of states that tax groceries, and I really want to see us improve our public education funding. Public education is our future, and I'm really an advocate for a strong public school system."
When we asked Lands if she feels it's possible for Republicans and Democrats in Alabama to work together to tackle some of these topics, she says she's "optimistic," and offers a unique perspective.
"With my counseling background, I think I listen to people all the time. And I think that you need to fully understand the other side of it. And the other argument, you can't just go down locked into your agenda. Sometimes we need to change our mind. So I want to be open and listen and pay attention and be very thoughtful about the the voting that I do down there."
And she's ready to get started…
"I'm really looking forward to getting down to Montgomery next week and going to work and learning about this job, because there certainly will be a learning curve and I'm just ready to jump in."