Since the 1990s, transgender individuals have been elected to public office in growing numbers.
North America
United States
By 2021, 77 transgender, non-binary, intersex, and genderqueer officials served in public elected positions.[1] This represented a nearly fivefold increase from 2018, when only 16 openly transgender individuals had been elected to office in the United States.[2] A few transgender individuals who had been elected were not open about their gender identity and were later outed.
Althea Garrison (R), Massachusetts House of Representatives from the 5th Suffolk District – 1992. Garrison is the first transgender person to serve in a state legislature, however, not openly. She was later outed. In 2018, Garrison took office again when Ayanna Pressley was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives. Garrison was appointed as the at-large representative for the City Council of Boston.[4]
2000s
Amanda SimpsonKim Coco IwamotoLauren Scott
Amanda Simpson, Commissioner of the City of Tucson Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender Commission – 2001. Later Simpson was elected or appointed to many different positions from Precinct Committeeperson up to serving as Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Operational Energy from 2015 until January 2017.[5][6]
Claire Elizabeth Hall, Commissioner of Lincoln County, Oregon – 2004. Hall transitioned in June 2018 while serving as commissioner.[7]
Michelle Bruce, City Council Member of Riverdale, Georgia – 2004. Bruce was sued by her political opponents for fraud because she allegedly misled voters concerning her gender. The Georgia Supreme Court ruled in favor of Bruce.[8]
Jessica Orsini, Alderwoman of the Centralia, Missouri Municipal Council – 2006.[9]
Kim Coco Iwamoto, Member of Hawaii Board of Education – 2006. Iwamoto was later appointed to the Hawaii Council of Human Affairs.[10]
Victoria Kolakowski, Superior Court Judge of Alameda County, California, Superior Court – 2010. First transgender person elected judge.[11]
Stacie Laughton, New Hampshire House of Representatives. Though Laughton was the first openly transgender person elected to state legislature, she was forced to resign after past felonies became public – 2012.[12] She has since been arrested again, this time for felony distribution of child sexual abuse images.[13]
Lauren Scott, Commissioner of Nevada Equal Rights Commission – 2012. First transgender person to win a Republican primary election for a state legislative office.[14]
Vered Meltzer, City Council in Appleton, Wisconsin, District 2 – 2014.[16][17]
Aime Wichtendahl – elected to the Hiawatha, Iowa, City Council – 2015. She is the first openly trans woman elected to government in Iowa.[18]
Jordan Evans, Board of Trustees of the Public Library for Charlton, Massachusetts – 2016.[19]
Jess Herbst, Mayor of New Hope, and first openly trans mayor to hold office in Texas, though not elected – 2016.[20]
Jay Irwin, School Board Member of Ralston, Nebraska. First openly trans man to be elected to office – 2016.[21]
2017
Danica RoemAndrea JenkinsPhillipe Cunningham
Rachael Rose Luckey, Board Member of the Rampart Village Neighborhood Council, Los Angeles, CA – 2017.[22]
Boudicca Walsh, an openly trans woman elected to the Thurston County Democrats.[23]
Michelle Risher, Elected Chair of the Democratic Party of Oregon Stonewall (LGBTQ+) Caucus. (DPO)[24]
Betsy Driver, elected to Flemington (NJ) town council – First openly intersex person to be elected to office in the United States. Driver was later elected as mayor of Flemington, again the first openly intersex person to do so.[25][26]
On November 7, 2017, eight transgender individuals were elected to public office. This is the most transgender individuals elected to office in a single day.[27]
Danica Roem, Virginia House of Delegates, 13th District – First openly transgender person to be elected and serve in a state legislature in U.S. history. Stacie Laughton had been elected in 2012, but resigned before being seated.[29]
Traci Baker, Secretary of Libertarian Party of Oklahoma – First transgender person elected in Oklahoma and first openly transgender person to be elected as a state level executive for a recognized political party in the United States[31]
Honey Mahogany, San Francisco Democratic County Central Committee, 17th District – first black trans person to hold office in California.
Monika Nemeth, Neighborhood Commissioner, Washington D.C. Advisory Neighborhood Commission, 3F06 – first trans person to hold public office in Washington, D.C.[32]
Kathryn Ottersten, Fairbanks City Council, Alaska[33]
Liz Lyke, Fairbanks North Star Borough Assembly, Alaska[33]
Pluto Brand, Chair Indiana Green Party – first transgender and intersex person to be elected in the State of Indiana[34]
Émilia Decaudin, first openly transgender member of the New York State Democratic Committee. She was elected to this position in September, before later coming out as transgender in August 2019. She was later elected as one of two of the first openly transgender Democratic district leaders in New York State.[37]
2019
Brianna Westbrook, Former Vice-chair of the Democratic Party of Arizona – First transgender person to be elected a vice-chair of a state Democratic Party.[38]
Michelle Risher, First Vice-chair of the Democratic Party of Oregon (DPO) – First transgender person to be elected a first, senior, or second vice-chair of a state or territorial Democratic party and to be next in the line of succession to the party chair.[24]
Ashley Shade, Treasurer of the Massachusetts Libertarian Party. She is the first transgender person to be elected treasurer of a Libertarian State Party and first elected Transgender State Party Officer in Massachusetts. Elected July 14, 2019.[40]
Donna Price, Vice-chair of the Albemarle County, Virginia Board of Supervisors (Scottsville Magisterial District). The first transgender Supervisor and second elected public official in the State. Elected November 2019.[41]
Rosemary Ketchum, elected to Wheeling, West Virginia's City Council on June 9, 2020. The first out trans person to be elected to public office in the State. Elected June 2020.[45]
Pluto Brand, elected to State Chair of the Indiana Green Party. First Trans/Intersex person to be the leader of a State Political Party in the State of Indiana, 2018 Elected Vice-chair of the Indiana Green Party[34]
Émilia Decaudin, Elected Democratic District Leader for New York's 37th State Assembly District, on June 23. She, along with Melissa Sklarz, are the first openly transgender District Leaders in New York State. She had also been serving on the New York State Democratic Committee since 2018, and was that body's first transgender member upon coming out.[37]
Melissa Sklarz, Elected Democratic District Leader for New York's 30th State Assembly District, on June 23. She, along with Émilia Decaudin, are the first openly transgender District Leaders in New York State.[37]
Blaizen Bloom, Elected to Press-Secretary of the Green Party of Virginia. Elected August 8, 2020. (non-binary/gender fluid)[46]
Taylor Small, Elected to Vermont House of Representatives, representing Winooski and Burlington (Chittenden 6–7 district).
Honey Mahogany, San Francisco Democratic County Central Committee, 17th District – 3rd Vice Chair – First black trans person elected in the State of California.[49]
Sarah McBride, elected to the Delaware state senate on November 3, 2020, and sworn on January 12, 2021. First transgender state senator in United States history.[50][51]
Michelle Risher, Elected to the Democratic National Committee (DNC) by the Democratic Party of Oregon's state central committee. Risher is only the second transgender Democrat elected to the DNC and the first to be their state party's only elected female DNC member.[24]
Mauree Turner, elected to the Oklahoma State House of Representatives. They are the first non-binary state legislator and the only current transgender state legislator of color.[52]
2021
Ashley Shade, Chair of the Massachusetts Libertarian Party. She is the first transgender person to be elected Chair of a State Party in Massachusetts. Elected March 20, 2021.[40]
Blaizen Bloom, Elected to Non-Male Cochair of the Green Party of Virginia. Elected April 5, 2021. (non-binary and gender fluid)[53]
Rachel Nyx, Vice Chair of the Libertarian Party of California. She is the first openly transgender person to be elected Vice Chair of a State Party in California. Elected May 16, 2021.[54]
Ashley Shade, Elected to City Council North Adams, Massachusetts November 2, 2021. She is the first transgender person to be elected in North Adams and in Berkshire County, Massachusetts.[55]
Lisa Middleton, previously a city council member of Palm Springs, was elected mayor of Palm Springs in late 2021.[56]
2022
Hayden Gise, Elected Neighborhood Commissioner, Washington D.C. Advisory Neighborhood Commission, 3C01 – Second Trans person to hold public office in Washington, D.C.[57]
Pluto Brand, Elected to State Chair of the Indiana Green Party. First Trans/Intersex person to be the leader of a State Political Party in the State of Indiana see 2020 Elected Chair of the Indiana Green Party, 2018 Elected Vice-chair of the Indiana Green Party[58]
Rebecca Blankenship, member of the Berea Community School Board. She is the first openly transgender elected official in Kentucky.[59]
Zooey Zephyr, Elected to the 100th District of the Montana House of Representatives.[60] She is the first openly transgender elected official in the Montana Legislature.[61]
2023
Clare Killman, Elected to Carbondale City Council. Killman is the first transgender city council member in the state of Illinois.[62]
Danica Roem, elected to Virginia Senate, first transgender person to be elected and serve in both houses of a state legislature in U.S. History. First, transgender state senator in the Southern United States.[64]
Julie Lemieux, Mayor of Très-Saint-Rédempteur in Quebec and first openly transgender mayor in Canada – 2017.[72][73]
Lyra Evans, School Board Trustee in Ottawa was the first openly transgender school trustee in Canada; previously a candidate for member of provincial parliament in Ontario – 2018.[74][75]
Mara Pérez Reynoso, holder of the non-discrimination area in the Ministry of Security, first transgender public official in Argentina's government – 2016.[85]
Bolivia
París Galán, first trans person to win elective office – 2015.
Edward Lord, Councilman for the City of London for the Liberal Democrats (2001–present; openly non-binary from 2018).[98]
Jenny Bailey, Civic Leader of Cambridge City Council, Councillor for East Chesterton ward, and Mayor of Cambridge for the Liberal Democrats (2002–2008).[99]
Alexandra Ward-Slotte, Councillor in the municipality of Stenungsund for the liberal-conservative Moderate party. LGBTQ-activist and Vice president of west pride.[125]
Lukas Romson, Swedish politician for the Socialdemocratic party. Brother of Åsa Romson, former deputy prime minister.[126]
Mia Mulder, Councillor in the municipality of Sollentuna for the Left Party.
Shabnam Bano (aka Shabnam "Mausi"), Member of the Madhya Pradesh State Legislative Assembly – 1998.[131]
Kamla Jaan, Mayor of Katni, central Madhya Pradesh. Elected in 2000, she was India's first transgender mayor.[132][133] In 2002, a judge in Madhya Pradesh ruled that she was legally male and could not hold an office reserved for women.[134]
Kamla Kinnar (aka Kamla "Bua"), Mayor of Sagar, Madhya Pradesh – 2009.[135]
Madhu Kinnar, Mayor of the Raigarh Municipal Corporation – 2015.
Indonesia
Kety Haji Jalla, member of the People's Representative Council (2009–2014) for North Maluku.[136]
Hendrika Mayora Victoria, member of the Village Representative Council for Habi Village, East Nusa Tenggara.[137]
Rania Zara Medina, transgender woman, trans health consultant by the Ministry of Health Malaysia in the Country Coordinating Mechanism committee.[147][148]
Category
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