trans candidates (after the November 2026 general election)

In the Nov 3 election good news, I saw that multiple trans women (and nonbinary Bentley Hudgins) had won (re-)election, but it wasn't until Sat Nov 7 that I saw a FB post flagging "trans masc, two-spirit, and non-binary folks" who had won (re-)election. Googling them, almost all of them had won RE-election, as opposed to most of the news I'd seen had been about first-time election winners, so it makes some sense that they weren't getting as much press -- but it did make me curious to go back to my post about trans candidates this general election and see both who had won/lost and who I had missed.

(Some of the very local elections I struggled to find results for, so I linked to FB posts or local election results webpages. I also got some new-to-me candidates from The 19th's "These trans and nonbinary candidates just made history" -- the top hit when I Googled "trans men election wins" ... though the title is a bit odd, since some of the listed candidates lost in the general election.)

Alabama

won election [missing from my initial list] Allison Montgomery, Alabama House of Representative, State House District 25 -- trans woman [Ballotpedia]

Arizona

won re-election [missing from my initial list] Lorena Austin, Arizona House of Representatives, 9th legislative district -- "nonbinary and Chicane" per Wikipedia, they/them per their website [Ballotpedia]

lost election? (I think there were 2 at-large seats and she got the fewest votes of the 3 candidates) | Paul Bixler, LESD #25 Governing Board, Liberty Elementary School District #25 -- white trans woman [Victory Fund, Ballotpedia]

lost election [missing from my initial list] Aiden Swallow, Arizona House of Representatives District 19 -- trans woman [Ballotpedia]

Colorado

won election | Alexis Hoffkling, Colorado House of Representatives, District 23 -- white queer trans woman [Victory Fund, Ballotpedia]

Delaware

won re-election | Sarah McBride, U.S. House of Representatives, DE-At Large -- running for re-election -- white queer trans woman [Victory Fund, Ballotpedia]

won re-election [missing from my initial list] DeShanna Neal, Delaware House of Representatives, District 13 -- Black. Queer. they/them [Ballotpedia] -- ran unopposed

I am mostly not adding commentary about candidates (that feels like too much), but in Googling various candidates, I learned

Neal uses they/them pronouns and is a mother of 4 children, including two transgender daughters, Trinity and Hyperion, who is the subject of their book "My Rainbow".

and that picturebook is so good!

Florida

won election | Quinnie Perez, Orange County Soil and Water Conservation District Seat 1 -- Latinx/Hispanic pansexual trans woman [Victory Fund, Ballotpedia]

Georgia

lost election | Bella Bautista, Georgia House of Representatives, District 14 -- Latina trans woman [Ballotpedia]

won election | Bentley Hudgins, Georgia House of Representatives, District 90 -- Multiracial, Genderqueer/Non-Binary, Queer, They/Them [Victory Fund, Ballotpedia]

Illinois

won election | Precious Brady-Davis, Metropolitan Water Reclamation District Board of Commissioners -- Multiracial queer trans woman [Victory Fund, Ballotpedia]

Iowa

won election | V Fixmer-Oraiz, Johnson County Board of Supervisors, District 4 -- Multiracial, Genderqueer/Non-Binary, Queer, They/Them [Victory Fund, Ballotpedia]

won election | Aime Wichtendahl, Iowa House of Representatives, District 80 -- white bisexual tran woman [Victory Fund, Ballotpedia] -- ran unopposed

Kansas

won (re-)election [missing from my initial post and added to this post belatedly] Abi Boatman, Kansas House of Representatives, 86th district -- white pansexual she/her trans woman [Victory Fund, Wikipedia]

lost election [missing from my initial list] Bobby Robertson, Kansas House of Representatives, District 73 -- trans woman [Ballotpedia]

lost election [missing from my initial list] Avery Rowland, Kansas House of Representatives, District 2 -- trans woman [Ballotpedia]

Kentucky

lost election | Serenity Johnson, Radcliff City Council -- white bisexual trans woman [Victory Fund, Ballotpedia]

Maryland

[also edited to add] lost election | Ly Xīnzhèn Brown, Maryland House of Delegates, District 7A -- "queer, and nonbinary/transmasculine Chinese American" per Wikipedia [Ballotpedia]

[oops, I had missed that she had failed to advance from the June primary] Josie Caballero, Montgomery County Council, At-Large -- Latinx/Hispanic bisexual trans woman [Victory Fund, Ballotpedia]

lost election | Jamie McGonnigal, Prince George's County Board of Education, District 3 -- White, Gender Non-Conforming, Gay, he/they [Victory Fund, Ballotpedia]

won election | Alleria Stanley, Maryland House of Delegates, District 4 -- white lesbian trans woman [Victory Fund, Ballotpedia]

Michigan

lost election | Justin Bailey, Mount Pleasant City Commission, At-Large -- white she/they trans woman [Victory Fund, Ballotpedia]

won election | Joanna Whaley, Michigan House of Representatives, District 2 -- white bisexual trans woman [Victory Fund, Ballotpedia]

Minnesota

won re-election [missing from my initial list] Brion Curran, Minnesota House of Representatives, District 36B -- she/they [Ballotpedia]

won re-election [missing from my initial post and added to this post belatedly] Leigh Finke, Minnesota House of Representatives, District 66A -- white bisexual trans woman [Victory Fund, Ballotpedia]

won re-election [missing from my initial list] Liish Kozlowski, Minnesota House of Representatives, District 8B -- Trans non-binary Two Spirit, Anishinabeg-Ojibwe and Latine, they/them [Wikipedia]

Montana

won re-election [missing from my initial list] SJ Howell, Montana State Legislature, House District 100 -- non-binary [Ballotpedia]

won re-election [missing from my initial list] Zooey Zephyr, Montana House of Representatives, 100th House District -- she/her trans woman [Ballotpedia] -- ran unopposed

Nebraska

lost election | Nate Ostdiek, Nebraska Legislature, District 6 -- White, Gender Non-Conforming, Bisexual, He/They [Victory Fund, Ballotpedia]

Nevada

won election | Brian Wadsworth, Washoe County Commissioner, District 5 -- Native American/Alaska Native, Two Spirit, Gay, He/Him/His [Victory Fund, Ballotpedia]

New York

won election | Illapa Sairitupac, New York State Assembly, District 65 -- Latinx/Hispanic, Genderqueer/Non-Binary, Queer [Victory Fund, Ballotpedia]

won election [missing from my initial list] David Siffert, New York State Assembly, District 66 -- non-binary, they/them [Ballotpedia]

Ohio

lost election [missing from my initial list] Arienne Childrey, Ohio House of Representatives, District 84 -- trans woman, she/her [Ballotpedia]

Rhode Island

won re-election | Jackie Goldman, Providence City Council, Ward 5 -- White, Genderqueer/Non-Binary, Queer, They/Them/Theirs [Victory Fund, Ballotpedia]

Virginia

won election (& "As the highest vote-getter, Bruce is now in line to become Herndon’s new vice mayor")| Sabrina Bruce, Herndon Town Council -- white lesbian trans woman [Victory Fund, Ballotpedia]

Utah

won election| Luke Maynes, Salt Lake County Council, District 3 -- white, Genderqueer/Non-Binary, Pansexual, he/they [Victory Fund]

Vermont

won election | Monique Priestley, Vermont State Senate, Orange County -- White, Gender Non-Conforming, Queer, She/Her/Hers [Victory Fund, Ballotpedia]

Washington

won election | Jaelynn Scott, Washington House of Representatives, District 37-Position 2 -- Black queer trans woman [Victory Fund, Ballotpedia]

Wisconsin

won re-election | Dina Nina Martinez-Rutherford, Wisconsin State Assembly, District 76 -- white straight trans woman [Victory Fund, Ballotpedia]

trans candidates (in the November 2026 general election)

This morning I got an email from Uncloseted Media titled "In Georgia, 2 Trans Candidates Believe Voters Are Ready for Them." I donated to both candidates -- even though the article notes, "Hudgins is running in a liberal stronghold in Atlanta with no serious Republican opposition and is all but certain to win in November."

This also prompted me to look up and donate to the trans woman running for office in Michigan who was the reason I picked Michigan for my Postcards to Swing States postcards this season (though there was no guarantee I would get addresses in her district).

In my Googling for the Michigan trans woman (Joanna Whaley) I found her listing on the LGBTQ+ Victory Fund -- which website listed one but not both of the Georgia candidates in the article above. The Victory Fund website also doesn't have the option to filter to see just candidates currently running. So in case anyone else wants to support trans/non-binary/genderqueer/etc. candidates this cycle, I have attempted to make you a list. If I missed anyone, please let me know. (Ballotpedia was very helpful in figuring out who was currently running. Demographic info is mostly sourced from Victory Fund listings.)

Arizona

Paul Bixler, LESD #25 Governing Board, Liberty Elementary School District #25 -- white trans woman [Victory Fund]

Colorado

Alexis Hoffkling, Colorado House of Representatives, District 23 -- white queer trans woman [Victory Fund, Ballotpedia]

Delaware

Sarah McBride, U.S. House of Representatives, DE-At Large -- running for re-election -- white queer trans woman [Victory Fund, Ballotpedia]

Florida

Quinnie Perez, Orange County Soil and Water Conservation District Seat 1 -- Latinx/Hispanic pansexual trans woman [Victory Fund, Ballotpedia]

Georgia

Bella Bautista, Georgia House of Representatives, District 14 -- Latina trans woman [Ballotpedia]

Bentley Hudgins, Georgia House of Representatives, District 90 -- Multiracial, Genderqueer/Non-Binary, Queer, They/Them [Victory Fund, Ballotpedia]

Illinois

Precious Brady-Davis, Metropolitan Water Reclamation District Board of Commissioners -- Multiracial queer trans woman [Victory Fund, Ballotpedia]

Iowa

V Fixmer-Oraiz, Johnson County Board of Supervisors, District 4 -- Multiracial, Genderqueer/Non-Binary, Queer, They/Them [Victory Fund, Ballotpedia]

Aime Wichtendahl, Iowa House of Representatives, District 80 -- white bisexual tran woman [Victory Fund, Ballotpedia]

Kentucky

Serenity Johnson, Radcliff City Council -- white bisexual trans woman [Victory Fund, Ballotpedia]

Maryland

Josie Caballero, Montgomery County Council, At-Large -- Latinx/Hispanic bisexual trans woman [Victory Fund, Ballotpedia]

Jamie McGonnigal, Prince George's County Board of Education, District 3 -- White, Gender Non-Conforming, Gay, he/they [Victory Fund, Ballotpedia]

Alleria Stanley, Maryland House of Delegates, District 4 -- white lesbian trans woman [Victory Fund, Ballotpedia]

Michigan

Justin Bailey, Mount Pleasant City Commission, At-Large -- white she/they trans woman [Victory Fund, Ballotpedia]

Joanna Whaley, Michigan House of Representatives, District 2 -- white bisexual trans woman [Victory Fund, Ballotpedia]

Nebraska

Nate Ostdiek, Nebraska Legislature, District 6 -- White, Gender Non-Conforming, Bisexual, He/They [Victory Fund, Ballotpedia]

Nevada

Brian Wadsworth, Washoe County Commissioner, District 5 -- Native American/Alaska Native, Two Spirit, Gay, He/Him/His [Victory Fund, Ballotpedia]

New York

Illapa Sairitupac, New York State Assembly, District 65 -- Latinx/Hispanic, Genderqueer/Non-Binary, Queer [Victory Fund, Ballotpedia]

Rhode Island

Jackie Goldman, Providence City Council, Ward 5 -- - running for re-election -- White, Genderqueer/Non-Binary, Queer, They/Them/Theirs [Victory Fund, Ballotpedia]

Virginia

Sabrina Bruce, Herndon Town Council -- white lesbian trans woman [Victory Fund, Ballotpedia]

Utah

Luke Maynes, Salt Lake County Council, District 3 -- white, Genderqueer/Non-Binary, Pansexual, he/they [Victory Fund -- I can't find him on Ballotpedia, but his social media indicates he is definitely still in the race, e.g. an Oct 1, 2026 FB post "I’m deeply honored to be among the inaugural slate of Working Families Party endorsed candidates here in Utah." and an Oct 5 IG post "Reflect Utah proudly endorses Luke Maynes for Salt Lake County Council District 3!"]

Vermont

Monique Priestley, Vermont State Senate, Orange County -- White, Gender Non-Conforming, Queer, She/Her/Hers [Victory Fund, Ballotpedia]

Washington

Jaelynn Scott, State Representative 37th LD Position 2 -- Black queer trans woman [Victory Fund, Ballotpedia]

Wisconsin

Dina Nina Martinez-Rutherford, Wisconsin State Assembly, District 76 -- white straight trans woman [Victory Fund, Ballotpedia]

[TDOV 2026] book recs

Continuing to make this an annual thing.

***

March 2021, after my then-partner asked me, "I’m proofing a Transgender Day of Visibility doc for someone in [a Facebook group]. Do you have particular kid or adult books you’d recommend? (And how is it that I don’t actually have any?)" I pulled a bunch of book recs and made a post. I've continued to make a list each year, which you can check out on the trans tag.

I included the publication year (and publisher), since I know queer lit can often feel dated as Discourse, language, etc. changes. I also tried to flag the identities of the authors as far as I knew, since I want to mainly center trans voices.

I read a few trans/non-binary picturebooks last May/June, but still haven't found anything I would recommend the last couple of years, which is a bummer -- and I hope not indicative of trends (though it probably is; librarian Betsy Bird talks some specifically about Black kidlit authors in the preface to her Newbery/Caldecott predictions here).

I spent a chunk of the summer/fall of 2025 needing stuff to distract myself from Big Feelings, so I read a bunch of stuff that had been on my TBR/floating around -- largely thanks to Bethany (The Transfeminine Review, who I follow on Bluesky). Though apparently this is still a pretty short rec list.

Speaking of Bethany, in November 2025 she posted her new updated Trans-Fem "Start Here" Rec List. As with the one she posted in 2024 when she launched her website, it wouldn't be my list, but I respect the comprehensiveness.

---

young adult

One of the Boys by Victoria Zeller (2025, Levine Querido) -- author is a trans woman

I have commented that I feel like this and Woodworking (discussed below) are part of a Trans 201 era.

We meet Grace after she has already started social and medical transition (we meet her at the end of the summer, and she came out at the end of the previous school year -- so a few months ago). People are generally supportive. She's not the first or the only trans person at her school. She still experiences transphobia -- mostly subtler, but also sometimes overt -- but it's not the primary thing she (or the book) is dealing with.

She was the kicker on the high school (American) football team and quit as part of her coming out -- but as we start the fall of her senior year, she's asked to help train the new kicker and is faced with the question of rejoining the team. Obviously her being trans is a big part of her journey navigating this question, but it's not just about being trans -- and in so far as it is, it feels like more of a 201 conversation about trans stuff.

She talks about ways her life might have been different if she had come out sooner -- in ways that feel to me a lot more nuanced than most of the glancing "if only"s that we get in many trans narratives for cis people.

There's a lot of football in the book, but I (who am not a sports) didn't feel like it detracted from my ability to follow/enjoy the book.

adult

[fiction] Woodworking by Emily St. James (2025, Crooked Media Reads) -- author is a trans woman

Our primary protagonist is a middle-aged trans woman just starting to come out (including to herself). I like what the author does to avoid ever indicating her old name -- it's literally grey-redacted, with the text explaining, "Since she had chosen the name Erica for herself on a baby-name website, Erica's old name had come to sound like it was enveloped in fog."

There's a teenage trans girl, Abigail, who knows a lot more about being trans than Erica does, but is still very much a teenager. She's our primary co-protagonist.

The book takes its title from an old trans community term. Abigail explains, "Back then, in the 1980s or whatever, they called it 'woodworking,' beacuse you disappear into the woodwork." Abigail learned about this from a Reddit post (of course) in which an older trans woman posts a Warning, saying, "It destroys you. You can't pretend you're not who you are." Abigail, however, would very much like to woodwork -- to be able to disappear from her current life and start over somewhere where being trans isn't the first thing people know about her. (The book is set in a small town in South Dakota shortly before the 2016 election, and Abigail is the only out trans person in the entire town.)

That question of how you navigate disclosure runs throughout the book, but it's not the only question of the book. And while Erica is definitely coming out -- both to herself and publicly -- the book is much more than Her Coming Out Story. Multiple characters are wrestling with various elements of trans life, and there's also largely-unrelated stuff like a local election going on.

[memoir] The Risk It Takes to Bloom: On Life and Liberation by Raquel Willis (2023, St. Martin's Press) -- author is a Black trans woman from Georgia (the U.S. South, not the African country)

I ended up reading a bunch of memoirs in Q2 2025, though I wasn't blown away by a lot of them, but this one goes on my rec list.

[romance novel, historical fiction] A Shore Thing by Joanna Lowell (2024, Berkley)

Author is a cis queer woman, though in the author's note at the beginning of the book she says, in part, "As a cis-queer historical romance writer with a transmasculine partner, I have found myself wanting to read a story like mine set in the past. I wrote A Shore Thing in consultation with my partner, a gender and sexuality historian. The representations of queerness and trans identity came out of our lived experience, and our conversations with each other, and with our friends, as well as archival research."

My feeling is that we're much more in the head of the cis woman protagonist (Muriel) than the trans man protagonist (Kit) -- which I think is probably appropriate, given the author. But we get a lot about Kit's history and present -- in women's/sapphic spaces (including women's art spaces) and how his transition to male complicates that, his discomfort in cis male spaces, etc.

But this book isn't just about Kit's gender/sexuality, or just about the romance; there's also stuff about bicycles and botany (though less botany than one might expect from the beginning), the cis woman love interest has a complicated relationship with sexuality/relationships and some personal trauma... It's not a book that's "about" trans-ness, but we do get a bunch of period-appropriate discussion about what we would now call trans-ness -- thanks to Muriel's doctor friend who is what we would now call gay and who in addition to his lived experience in that community (including cross-dressing balls), also has exposure to the idea of female husbands, the writings of the German sexologists, etc. (The book is set in the Victorian UK, mostly in Cornwall.)

[memoir] Horse Barbie: A Memoir by Geena Rocero (2023, The Dial Press) -- author is a Filipina American trans woman

Geena was a trans pageant queen as an adolescent in the Philippines. Some of what I found most interesting from this book was the stuff about Filipino culture re: trans people.

Geena has a largely charmed life -- both in the Philippines and after she immigrates to the USA -- and the narrative perhaps intentionally elides some of the rougher patches. There is definitely struggle in the narrative, but it's overall a story of joy and triumph. I don't think the book particularly suggests that if you just have her level of drive then you, too, can will yourself into incredible success, but I want to caveat it for anyone who's sensitive to that. (At book club, people talked about how her hustle was only possible during a particular moment -- around the turn of the twenty-first century.)