Trans woman wins Democratic nomination for Michigan state legislature
Summary
Joanna Whaley won the Democratic primary for Michigan’s state legislature, making her the first transgender person to reach this stage in that body. She overcame a challenge related to her name change and will face a Republican opponent in the November election.Key Facts
- Joanna Whaley is a transgender woman who won the Democratic primary for Michigan’s 2nd statehouse district.
- She previously was an evangelical megachurch pastor and underwent 15 years of Christian conversion therapy.
- Whaley was forced to leave her former church in 2022 when they learned she was considering a gender transition.
- She has worked as a hospital chaplain and shared her story publicly through social media and a podcast.
- Her opponent tried to remove her from the ballot over her name change, but the challenge was dismissed.
- She won the primary against Frank Liberati, a former state representative, by more than 30%.
- Whaley received endorsements from LGBTQ and progressive political groups.
- She will run against Republican Ronald Kokinda in the November general election.
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