Transgender Candidates
***This page contains data regarding transgender and nonbinary candidates
for political office in the U.S. in 2017. Click here for the current list.***
In this 2015 project originally conducted with Andrew Reynolds, we examined the success rates of transgender and gender-variant candidates for office around the world. We developed an original dataset of nearly 130 unique candidates (as of Nov. 2015) over nearly 40 years across 30 countries and counting. I have presented this research to the British Parliament, London School of Economics, and the 2015 International LGBT Leaders Conference.
I continue to catalogue transgender candidates in the United States.
This project has received press coverage, catalogued below.
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Notes for Journalists Covering Transgender Issues:
Please see GLAAD's Media Reference Guides on
transgender terminology and best practices for reporting.
I would also be happy to speak with you about recommended practices for covering or discussing LGBTQ people and issues.
List of Transgender or Nonbinary U.S. Candidates
2017
2017 Candidacies: 25
2017 Victories: 10
Note: Candidates only included in above count if they make it
to the primary election. Others who announced but did not file
or make it to ballot are listed below the list of counted candidates.
2017
*=victories/elected to office
NP=non-partisan race
State House
*Danica Roem (D) - Virginia Delegates 13 - WON
Judicial
Henry Sias (D) - Philadelphia PA (lost primary in June)
Mayor/Supervisor
Sophie Hawes-Tingey (D) - Midvale UT (lost in Nov)
Kristen Browde (D) - New Castle NY (lost in Nov)
City Council
*Phillipe Cunningham (DFL) - Minneapolis MN 4 - WON
*Andrea Jenkins (D) - Minneapolis MN 8 - WON (pictured above)
Chris King (I) - Galesburg IL 6 (lost election in April)
*Stephe Koontz (NP) - Doraville GA 3 - WON
Marina Mangiaracina - Oklahoma City OK 7 (lost primary in Feb)
*Raven Matherne (Reform) - Stamford CT - WON
Mac McGregor (NP) - Seattle WA 8 (lost primary in Aug)
*Lisa Middleton (NP) - Palm Springs CA - WON
Persephone Smith (Green) - Brooklyn, NY 37 (lost election in Nov)
Mel Wymore (D) - New York City, NY 6 (lost primary in Aug)
School Board
Johnny Boucher (NP) - Grand Prairie TX 4 (lost election in May)
*Gerri Cannon (NP) - Somersworth NH - WON
Shannon Cuttle (NP) - identifies as nonbinary - South Orange-Maplewood NJ (lost in Nov)
Sandra Faye Dunn (NP) - Amarillo TX (lost election in May)
Cassandra Martineau (Green) - Windham CT (lost in Nov)
*Jacquelyn Ryan (NP) - Southbridge MA - WON (election in June)
Josie Simonis (NP) - Portland OR 6 (lost election in May)
*Tyler Titus (D) - Erie PA - WON
Misc Other Local Offices
Devin Hogan (NP) - identifies as nonbinary - Parks and Rec Board, Minneapolis MN (lost in Nov)
*Cassandra Martineau (Green) - Zoning Board of Appeals, Windham CT (WON as write-in candidate for Alternate seat)
Monika Nemeth (D) - Advisory Neighborhood Commission 3F06, Washington DC (lost in late Nov)
Former candidates (not included in count)
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Payton McGarry (NP) withdrew from City Council race in Greensboro, NC 3 before election
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Reed Steberger (D) - Tompkins County Legislature 4, Ithaca, New York. Identifies as non-binary. Withdrew from race prior to primary.
Others of interest (not included in count)
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Phillip Garcia - Philadelphia PA, Judge of Elections, Ward 21, Division 10. Was elected with one vote (their own) as a write-in candidate.
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Rachael Rose Luckey (NP) - Neighborhood Council, Rampart Village CA. Was elected to council as an at-large member, but was elected by members of council, not a general election.
This is the policy report format of this research project, published in October 2015 by the LGBTQ Representation and Rights Research Initiative. The data regarding candidates (at the time of publication) is included in the appendix.
Presentations & Press Coverage
2017
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"LGBTQ Political Candidates Score Historic Victories Across U.S." NBC News. Julie Moreau. Nov 8.
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"Wins for trans candidates seen as nationwide clarion call." Washington Blade. Chris Johnson. Nov 8.
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"Out for votes: Battle over rights inspires more U.S. transgender candidates." Reuters. Letitia Stein. Oct 31.
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"The Second Coming Out: Trans Candidates and the Quest for Public Service." Esquire Magazine. Nico Lang. Oct 25.
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"For some transgender Texans, bathroom bill fight spurs bids for office." Texas Tribune. Emma Platoff. Sept 20.
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"How Dan Patrick's bathroom bill galvanized transgender Texans." Dallas Morning News. Lauren McGaughy. Aug 20.
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"Transgender Candidate Danica Roem Wins Virginia Primary, Makes History." NBC News. Julie Moreau. June 14.
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"Will 2017 Be the 'Year of the Trans Candidate'?" NBC News. Julie Moreau. June 12.
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"Trump bump? More transgender candidates seek public office." NBC News. Julie Moreau. April.
2016
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Podcast: Dialogues on Democracy. International Foundation for Electoral Systems. June.
2015
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"This map shows the 31 countries where transgender and gender-variant candidates have run for office since 1977." The Washington Post, The Monkey Cage. December.
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"UNC LGBTQ Representation and Rights Initiative Publishes First Report on Transgender Officials." UNC Global. December.
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Presentation at British Parliament, Westminster Palace. Co-sponsored by Kaleidoscope Trust and the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Global LGBT Rights. November.
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Presentation at the London School of Economics' International Inequalities Institute. November.
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Presentation at the International LGBT Leaders Conference. "Out to Win: Transgender Elected Officials" panel. (here) November.
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"Electing transgender officials: A new frontier in politics." The Washington Blade. November.
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"Trans representation wins screen time yet loses at the ballot box." TakePart.com. November.
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"The invisibility of transgender people in electoral politics around the world." The New Statesman. November.