Neil Rafferty is an American politician and current member of the

Alabama House of Representatives The Alabama House of Representatives is the lower house of the Alabama Legislature, the state legislature (United States), state legislature of state of Alabama. The House is composed of 105 members representing an equal number of districts, with ...

, representing District 54."Alabama Legislature has big turnover with 39 new faces"
''

The Birmingham News ''The Birmingham News'' was the principal newspaper for Birmingham, Alabama, United States in the latter half of the 20th century and the first quarter of the 21st. The paper was owned by Advance Publications and was a daily newspaper from its ...

'', November 12, 2018. Winning his seat in the

2018 elections The following elections occurred in 2018. The National Democratic Institute also maintains a calendar of elections around the world. Africa *2018 Djiboutian parliamentary election 23 February 2018 *2018 Sierra Leonean general election 7 and 31 ...

, Rafferty assumed office on November 7, 2018. He was re-elected to his position in 2022. Rafferty is a member of the Democratic Party. Rafferty is a former member of the

United States Marine Corps The United States Marine Corps (USMC), also referred to as the United States Marines or simply the Marines, is the maritime land force service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is responsible for conducting expeditionar ...

and veteran of the Global War on Terrorism. Prior to his election to the Alabama House of Representatives, he worked as director of research and development for Birmingham AIDS Outreach. He resides in

Birmingham Birmingham ( ) is a City status in the United Kingdom, city and metropolitan borough in the metropolitan county of West Midlands (county), West Midlands, within the wider West Midlands (region), West Midlands region, in England. It is the Lis ...

Alabama Alabama ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern and Deep South, Deep Southern regions of the United States. It borders Tennessee to the north, Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia to the east, Florida and the Gu ...

with his husband and former United States Marine, Michael Rudulph. In the legislature, Rafferty serves as the House Democratic Whip and chairs the Democratic House Caucus Platform Committee. He is a member of several committees, including Health; Economic Development and Tourism; Transportation, Utilities, and Infrastructure; and Jefferson County Legislation. He has also been appointed to the Alabama Challenge Veterans Suicide Task Force, the Opioid Overdose, Addiction, and Treatment Council, and the 988 Implementation Study Group. Rafferty has been an outspoken advocate for women's health, minority health,

LGBTQ LGBTQ people are individuals who are lesbian, Gay men, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, or questioning (sexuality and gender), questioning. Many variants of the initialism are used; LGBTQIA+ people incorporates intersex, Asexuality, asexual, ...

and racial equity, veterans' issues, and

Medicaid Medicaid is a government program in the United States that provides health insurance for adults and children with limited income and resources. The program is partially funded and primarily managed by U.S. state, state governments, which also h ...

expansion. He has sponsored and passed pro-growth economic legislation, including tax incentives to address Alabama's shortage of medical professionals, especially in rural areas. In 2024, Rafferty was honored with the Council of State Governments' 20 Under 40 Leadership Award, recognizing his commitment to public service and innovative solutions. Among his legislative efforts, Rafferty sponsored HB 152, a bill that exempts baby formula, maternity clothing, and menstrual hygiene products from state sales tax. The

unanimously passed the bill in March 2025. Rafferty also introduced HB 291 in 2025, aiming to repeal the 2016 Alabama Uniform Minimum Wage and Right-to-Work Act, which prevents local governments from setting minimum wages higher than the federal minimum wage. He resides in the Crestwood North neighborhood of Birmingham, Alabama, with his husband of 20 years, Michael Rudulph, a fellow former United States Marine, along with their dog and cat.

Election

References

American LGBTQ military personnel Gay military personnel American gay politicians LGBTQ state legislators in Alabama Living people Democratic Party members of the Alabama House of Representatives Military personnel from Birmingham, Alabama Politicians from Birmingham, Alabama Year of birth missing (living people) 21st-century members of the Alabama Legislature {{Alabama-politician-stub