Joanna Whaley, a hospital chaplain who won the Democratic primary on Tuesday for a Michigan state House seat, could become the first transgender person elected to the state’s legislature.
Whaley defeated both former state representative Frank Liberati and Allen Park City Council member Gary Schlack, and is favored to win the seat in November in a heavily Democratic district.
In a video posted Wednesday, Whaley, a former megachurch pastor who has spoken about surviving “conversion therapy,” acknowledged that her win was “a defining moment for state history.”
“But this campaign has never been about history. It’s never been about identity. It’s been about … can we afford our bills? Can we afford our health care? Am I as free as my neighbor?” she added.
Whaley noted the primary race had been “contentious” at times. Earlier this year, Liberati unsuccessfully tried to have her removed from the ballot because she did not use the name she was given at birth.
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