Three local candidates became their states’ first out transgender officials in 2020.
Evelyn Rios-Stafford was appointed to replace Democrat Candy Clark on the ballot for Justice of the Peace in Washington County, Arkansas, after the nominee dropped out of the race for health reasons. She defeated a Republican candidate in the November elections and made history as the first out trans candidate ever elected in Arkansas.
“I said during the campaign that I’d much rather be known for what I do for the community than for who I am,” Rios-Stafford told them in an interview after her election victory. “But I also think my election sends a message that in Arkansas, everyone should feel like they belong.”
In June, activist Rosemary Ketchum won a seat on the City Council of Wheeling, West Virginia, becoming the first out trans official in the Mountain State.
We did it!! #ThankYou ❤️ pic.twitter.com/egZ8eUXs0J
— Rosemary Ketchum (@RosemaryKetchum) June 11, 2020
In Cook County, Illinois, attorney Jill Rose Quinn was elected to the County Circuit Court after being unopposed in the general election.
In an interview with the Chicago Tribune before the primary election, Quinn emphasized that she wanted to be a offer hope to trans people who are struggling. “There are kids in this country killing themselves because they’re trans and they don’t see a light at the end of the tunnel. They don’t see respect. They don’t see themselves portrayed as being people, not ordinary people, of course, because nobody’s ordinary, but they don’t see how great they can be. So I think it’s important for them to see that you can survive, you can prosper, you can go to school, you can study hard. You can make your way, and you can be a judge.”
“Jill’s victory is a transformative moment for the state of Illinois and indicative of the progress trans people are making in our nation’s politics,” said LGBTQ+ Victory Fund President & CEO Annise Parker in a statement following Quinn’s campaign victory, which the fund supported. “While Jill is a trailblazer, her victory gives hope to other trans people considering a run for office, moving closer to the day when a trans person elected doesn’t make newspaper headlines. Our judiciary should be representative of the people that come before it and Jill’s election brings us one step closer to that ideal.”
