Transgender Candidates in the U.S.

Transgender Candidates

***This page contains data regarding transgender candidates

for political office in the U.S. in 2020. Click here for the current list.***

In 2015, I conducted a project (coauthored with Andrew Reynolds) to examine 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 representing at least 30 countries. I presented this research to the British Parliament, London School of Economics, and the 2015 International LGBT Leaders Conference.

I continue to track transgender candidates in the United States,

often with the help of people around the country who take the time to contact me. Thank you!

Notes for Journalists Covering Transgender Issues:

Please see the Trans Journalists Association's

style guide for covering transgender people and issues.

List of Transgender Candidates in the U.S.

2020

Original

Policy Report

2015

Candidacies - 2020: 50 | 2019: 23 | 2018: 54 | 2017: 25

Victories - 2020: 16| 2019: 15 | 2018: 10 | 2017: 10

(12 of 16 victories occurred in Nov 2020)

Last updated Tuesday, January 4, 2022

8:30 am Central

(1/4/22 - adding Maebe A. Girl)

2020

NP=non-partisan race

green=victory

*=won primary

U.S. Senate

Elysabeth Britt (D) - Oklahoma (lost primary)
Bre Kidman (D), also identifies as nonbinary - Maine (lost primary)
Paula Overby (Green/DFL) - Minnesota (lost primary)

U.S. House

Maebe A. Girl, also identifies as nonbinary (D) - California 28 (lost primary)
Cassandra Martineau (Green) - Connecticut 2 (lost in Nov)
*Mia Mason (D) - Maryland 1 (lost in Nov)
Barbara Ramsey (D) - Nebraska 1 (lost primary)
Monique Worthy (R) - Texas 13 (lost primary)
Veronikka Ziol (D) - Indiana 4 (lost primary)

State Senate

Melina Rayna Barratt - Florida 5 (lost in Nov; primary was canceled; candidate died from cancer in Oct)
Angela Bridgman (D) - North Carolina 18 (lost primary)
Gray Ellis (D) - North Carolina 20 (lost primary)
*Sarah McBride (D) (pictured above) - Delaware 1 (won in Nov)
Shauna O'Toole (D) - New York 54 (lost in Nov; primary was canceled)
*Melissa Sue Robinson (D) - Idaho 13 (lost in Nov)
Erin Smith (R) - California 11 (lost primary)
Davin Sokup (D) - Minnesota 20 (did not receive party endorsement needed to advance (similar to primary) in May)

State House

Kristen Browde (D) - New York 93 (lost primary)
*Lisa Bunker (D) [Incumbent] - New Hampshire Rockingham 18 (won reelection in Nov; 1 of 4 winners)
*Stephanie Byers (D) - Kansas 86 (won in Nov)
*Gerri Cannon (D) [Incumbent] - New Hampshire Strafford 18 (won reelection in Nov; 1 of 3 winners)
*Janelle Crossley (D) - Pennsylvania 199 (lost in Nov)
Cassandra Devereaux (PFP) - California 14 (lost primary)
Toni Diamond (D) - South Dakota 32 (lost in Nov; primary was canceled)
Gia Drew (D) - Maine 9 (lost primary)
Jamie Dufour (D) - Vermont Bennington-4 (lost primary)
*Madi Eden (D) - Texas 17 (lost in Nov)
Kim Coco Iwamoto (D) - Hawaii 26 (lost primary)
*Jessica Katzenmeyer (D) - Wisconsin 15 (lost in Nov)
Paige Kreisman (D) - Oregon 42 (lost primary)
*Stacie-Marie Laughton (D) - New Hampshire Hillsborough 31 (won in Nov; 1 of 3 winners)
Erycka Ortiz (Green) - Connecticut 39 (lost in Nov)
*Addison Perry-Franks (D) - Texas 83 (lost in Nov)
Jenifer Rene Pool (D) - Texas 138 (lost primary runoff)
*Ember Quinn (D) - Vermont Chittenden-10 (lost in Nov; 1 of 2 primary winners)
Sherrie Scaffidi (D) - Nevada 40 (lost primary)
*Taylor Small (D) - Vermont Chittenden-6-7 (won in Nov; 1 of 2 winners in general; 1 of 2 primary winners)
Ramona Thomas (D) - Kentucky 28 (lost primary)
*Brianna Titone (D) [Incumbent] - Colorado 27 (won reelection in Nov)

County Commission/Board

Zoe Roberts [Incumbent] - Eau Claire WI, County Board 27 (won reelection in April)
Evelyn Rios Stafford (D) - Washington County AR, County Quorum Court Justice of the Peace, District 12 (won in Nov)

City Council

Rosemary Ketchum - Wheeling, WV (won in June)
Lisa Middleton (D) [Incumbent] - Palm Springs, CA (won reelection in Nov)

Judge

*Jill Rose Quinn (D) - Cook County IL, Circuit Court (won in Nov)

Other Local Offices

Ian Dent (D) - Randolph County IN, County Coroner (lost in Nov)
*Aria DiMezzo (R) - Cheshire County NH, Sheriff (lost in Nov)
Peyton Rose Michelle (D) - Louisiana Democratic State Central Committee District 046A (won in July)
Geo Neptune - Indian Township ME, School Board (won in Sept)
Gina Roberts (R) - Valley Center CA Fire Protection District Board (won in Nov; 1 of 2 winners)
Gina Roberts (R) - Valley Center CA Parks and Recreation District Board (won in Nov; 1 of 2 winners)

2020 Notes

Alejandra Caraballo announced she will run for city council in New York City (Brooklyn) in 2021.
Elisa Crespo (D) announced she will run for city council in New York City (Bronx) in 2021.
Monica DePaul (D) briefly ran for Florida's 4th Congressional district, but withdrew prior to the August 2020 primary.
Alex Hoffman (D) ran for Rhode Island's 1st State Senate district, but did not qualify for the primary.
Mia Lozada (D) briefly ran for Connecticut's 3rd state house district, but withdrew.
Amelia Marquez (D) briefly ran for Montana state senate district 25, but announced the end of that bid in December 2019.
Freyja Odinsdottir (I) ran as a write-in candidate for Sheriff in Denton County, Texas, and lost in November 2020.
Pam Rocker (D) announced she was running for President, but announced the end of her bid in February 2020.
Danielle VanHelsing (I) ran for U.S. Senate in Maine, but withdrew prior to the general election.

Click here for a list of candidates who ran in 2019.

Click here for a list of candidates who ran in 2018.

Click here for a list of candidates who ran in 2017.

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 report's appendix. If you know of someone we missed, please email me!