When Jennifer Williams was collecting signatures for her first political campaign in 2022, people told her, a transgender woman, “I think you would do an awesome job, but you got no chance to win.”

Their hesitancy was not unfounded. Williams won her seat on Trenton, N.J.’s City Council by a single vote.

This round she is running unopposed with broad community support. She attributes this to the fact that she got her job done. “Things have gone so well,” she says, “I think I delivered on everything I wanted to do.”

Williams is not the only trans candidate who has already secured a place in political office for the upcoming cycle. Kim Coco Iwamoto made history in Hawaii as the first person in U.S. history to defeat an incumbent House speaker in a Democratic primary—in addition to being the first out transgender elected official in Hawaii’s history. (Since there is no other challenger, Iwamoto is the representative-elect). 

Vered Meltzer, the first openly transgender individual to hold elected office in Wisconsin, elected originally in 2014, continues his tenure as a City Council Member in the City of Appleton, after winning in April. Helen Grant, a genderqueer/non-binary candidate in Oklahoma, won their race for Norman City Council in February.

Sarah McBride wins Delaware’s at-large congressional district, becoming the nation’s first out trans congressional lawmaker. 

Across the nation, 35 other transgender, non-binary, and genderqueer candidates are running for office in their local communities. The Blade will be tracking all races live as results come in, in addition to providing insight from interviews conducted with many of the candidates in the weeks leading up to election day.

“Transgender representation in public office is important because unfortunately the GOP has put a target on our backs … Since they’ve decided to use us as a scapegoat for our nation’s problems it’s important that we be able to advocate for ourselves in our own voice while standing up for our own humanity and rights.” – Mel Manuel, candidate for U.S. House of Representatives.

Identity information—transgender man, transgender woman, non-binary, and genderqueer—comes from the LGBTQ Victory Fund and FUTR (Families United for Trans Rights). 

Candidates emphasize that their identities do not always fit within simple labels. Minita Sanghvi, a candidate for the New York Senate, says, “I present as a butch lesbian and I often don’t feel like I am cisgender.” She explains that she sees gender as a continuum. “I see myself as gender diverse or genderqueer because I am not transgender either.”

When asked about top issues, the candidates repeatedly cited topics other than anti-LGBTQ bills. The focus of the campaigns varies race to race depending on local needs, such as poverty alleviation, improving emergency services, reproductive freedom, gun safety, and infrastructure. 

Many did cite their unique perspective as a trans person making them a better politician. It is not simply about the importance of having diverse voices in the legislature; rather it is about resiliency and creativity.

“I’ve always said that trans people make the best natural politicians,” says Alfred Twu, a candidate running for the Berkeley Rent Stabilization Board. “We’re already used to getting personal attacks, nothing really phases us, and we’re even used to explaining our life story to random people.”

“We have a lot to contribute because we have to follow a journey of self-discovery,” says Williams. “Along the way, we really look at how people are affected by the government, negatively and positively, what the role of government should be, and how precious our liberties and freedoms are.” 

It doesn’t hurt that being an openly trans public servant leads to greater acceptance and understanding of the LGBTQ community.

“I am very proud to have the opportunity to give people a visual example as to what a transgender person actually looks like, and what we do day in and day out when we have responsibility serving the people that elected us,” says Lisa Middleton, a trans woman running a competitive race for the California State Senate in a slightly red-leaning district. 

“The more that we show that we can lead and we can deliver as representatives of our fellow citizens, I think that’s going to change hearts and minds faster than anything else,” says Williams.

The Candidates

Abigail Salisbury

Non-binary/Genderqueer candidate running for Pennsylvania House of Representatives

Race Status: Won (Uncontested)

Aime Wichtendahl

Trans woman running for Iowa House of Representatives

Race Status: Won, becoming Iowa’s first transgender lawmaker

“Berkley is about a quarter Asian… But we don’t have anybody on the tenant board from an Asian American background. This becomes an issue because we have so many people who are first-time tenants and a lot of people are immigrants. They just got to this country, and they often don’t know what their rights are. Berkeley has been a bit lagging compared to some of our neighboring cities in providing information in different languages.” – Alfred Twu

Alfred Twu

Genderqueer/Non-Binary candidate running for Berkeley Rent Stabilization Board in California

Race Status: Not called, but looks like Twu snagged the last of four seats available on the board.

Alicia “Liish” Kozlowski

Non-Binary candidate running for Minnesota House of Representatives

Race Status: Won (Incumbent)

Amber Fellows 

Genderqueer/Non-Binary candidate running for Ypsilanti City Council in Michigan

Race Status: Won

Ambureen Rana

Genderqueer/Non-Binary candidate running for Maine House of Representatives

Race Status: Won

Ashley Brundage

Trans woman running for Florida House of Representatives

Race Status: Lost to incumbent Karen Gonzalez Pittman (R). In a social media post following the results, Brundage wrote “Together, we’ve laid a foundation, and I look forward to seeing it grow.”

Brian Cina

Non-binary/Genderqueer candidate running for Vermont House of Representatives

Race Status: Won (Uncontested)

Brianna Titone

Trans woman running for Colorado House of Representatives

Race Status: Won (Incumbent)

Brion Curran

Genderqueer/Non-Binary candidate running for Minnesota House of Representatives

Race Status: Won (Incumbent)

DeShanna Neal

Genderqueer/Non-Binary candidate running for Delaware House of Representatives

Race Status: Won (Incumbent)

Eleanor Moreno

Genderqueer/Non-Binary candidate running for Grand Rapids School Board in Michigan

Race Status: Won

Emma Curtis

Trans woman running for Lexington-Fayette Urban County Council in Kentucky

Race Status: Won. Curtis writes on social media: “It’s the greatest honor of my life that you have placed your faith in me to serve as your next Councilmember.” She continued in a statement to local radio: “I think that is significant because there are a lot of young trans kids in Lexington and a lot of young trans kids in Kentucky and quite frankly a lot of young trans kids in the United States who need to see people like them getting a seat at the table.”

Evelyn Rios Stafford

Trans woman running for Washington County Justice of the Peace in Arkansas

Race Status: Won

Jo Miller

Transgender Non-Binary candidate running for Woodbury City Council New Jersey

Race Status: Won (Incumbent)

Joshua Query

Genderqueer/Non-Binary candidate running for New Hampshire House of Representatives

Race Status: Lost

Leigh Finke

Trans woman running for Minnesota House of Representatives

Race Status: Won (Incumbent)

Leslie Blackburn

Genderqueer candidate running for Lodi Township Trustee in Michigan

Race Status: Won

“I am a strong believer in a woman’s right to choose. My opponent is absolutely opposed to that. It’s a fundamental issue for millions of women. It also the politicization of healthcare, and as a transgender woman, I have been dealing with politicized healthcare all my adult life.” –Lisa Middleton

Lisa Middleton

Trans woman running for California State Senate 

Race Status: Lost, Middleton wrote, “We have lost a race. We remain steadfast in our values. I will continue to work with all who are committed to freedom, fairness and opportunity for all.”

Lorena Austin

Genderqueer/Non-Binary candidate running for Arizona House of Representatives

Race Status: Won (Incumbent)

Mari Cordes

Genderqueer candidate running for Vermont House of Representatives

Race Status: Won (Incumbent)

Marielle De Leon

Trans woman running for San Juan Municipal Legislature in Puerto Rico

Race Status: Unknown

Mel Manuel

Transgender Non-Binary candidate running for US House of Representatives in Louisiana

Race Status: Lost to incumbent Steve Scalise (R). In response, Manuel told The Blade “We’re going to unseat Jeff Landry in 2027 but we need to start working now. Remember, Louisiana is not a red state. We have more registered Democrats than Republicans. So don’t give up hope. If we work together we can absolutely take our state back. We’re not going back, Louisiana. Not now. Not ever.”

“I moved to the U.S. in 2001 because I realized I was gay. India, where I was growing up, was not a very safe place to be for a gay kid in the 1990s or the 80s … I’m really grateful for everything that America has given me. When I was growing up, I never imagined that I would have a life where I get married, have a child, be on his birth certificate, be able to raise a family, go to work in a place where I was accepted for who I was, that I didn’t have to hide who I was … I got my chance at the American dream. I want everyone else to get their chance at the American dream.” – Minita Sanghvi

Minita Sanghvi

Genderqueer/Non-Binary candidate running for New York State Senate

Race Status: Lost to incumbent Jim Tedisco (R).

Nathan Bruemmer

Trans man running for Florida House of Representatives

Race Status: Lost to incumbent Linda Chaney (R).

Paul Bixler

Trans woman running for Liberty Elementary School District #25, Governing Board in Arizona

Race Status: Unknown

Precious Brady-Davis

Trans woman running for Metropolitan Water Reclamation District Board of Commissioners

Race Status: Won

Remy Drabkin

Genderqueer/Non-Binary candidate running for Mayor of McMinnville, Oregon

Race Status: Lost. Drabkin wrote “The work is not over. I will be focused over the next 2 months, prioritizing and completing specific projects. And I’ll stay dedicated to others, even when my role shifts.”

“It is vital that transgender and gender-diverse people have adequate representation at all levels of government because we are members of our communities, and we need representation just like everyone else. The issues that are important to us are often the very same issues that are important to everyone, but they sometimes affect us in unique or disproportionate ways.” – Serenity Johnson

Serenity Johnson

Trans woman running for Radcliff City Council in Kentucky 

Race Status: Lost

Terra Lawson-Remer

Genderqueer/Non-Binary candidate running for San Diego County Board of Supervisors in California

Race Status: Lawson-Remer (Incumbent) is “poised to win” but the race has not been called.

“I’m running at the statehouse level after serving on my city council, because Indiana deserves to have a General Assembly that works to lift folks up, and not beat them down; that acts to expand folks’ rights, and not diminish them; and that looks more like all the people it serves.” –

Veronica Pejril

Veronica Pejril

Trans woman running for Indiana State Senate

Race Status: Lost to Brett Clark (R).

Vivian Smotherman

Trans woman running for Colorado State Senate 

Race Status: Lost to incumbent Cleave Simpson (R), who Smotherman thanked for “keeping this campaign focused on the people and issues rather than hate and fear.” In a statement Smotherman also noted: “America was built on hard work, and I’m confident we did everything we could, with the resources we had, to win this race. Even though we have come up short, I’m proud of what we have achieved.”

Xavier Johnson

Genderqueer/Non-Binary candidate running for Berkeley Rent Stabilization Board Commission in California

Race Status: Not called, but leading alongside three others.

Zooey Zephyr 

Trans woman running for Montana House of Representatives

Race Status: Won (Incumbent)