Indeed, [Althea Garrison], who interrupts her sentences with nervous giggles at odds with her ramrod posture and otherwise composed demeanor, is clearly energized by campaigning. She stands at the supermarket entrance seeking eye contact with every passerby, seemingly oblivious to the potential pitfall of campaigning just a few days after terrorist attacks in New York and Washington.

Garrison describes herself as a conservative and is "pretty sure" she is against abortion. She opposes gun control and affirmative action. She admires President George W. Bush and recently supported Stephen F. Lynch, a conservative Democrat in the crowded field vying for the 9th Congressional District seat.

In May 1976, court records show, Garrison changed her name, from A.C. Garson to Althea Garrison, and apparently her gender.