On this Election Day, we have been winning seats in legislatures that show we are not the “evil” or “monsters” that Trump and the Republicans paint us to be!
Tech consultant Lena Chipman is first trans candidate to run in Shelby CountyTennessee LookoutBy: J. Holly McCallNovember 3, 2025Technology consultant Lena Chipman will attempt to become the second transgender person elected to local office in Tennessee and first in Memphis.Chipman announced her candidacy for the Shelby County Commission Thursday.If Chipman wins, she will join Nashville Metro Council Member Olivia Hill as the only other transgender elected official in the state.“Representation is really important,” Chipman said. “One of the things I’ve tried to do is to show up and show that trans people are just like everybody else: I’m a wife, a mom, I’m a tech entrepreneur.”
More and more trans people have been running for public office... and winning!
The number of transgender women in public office in the U.S. did not increase between May 2024 and June 2025, while the number of trans men in office increased by one, according to a report from the LGBTQ+ Victory Institute.
We all know the big names like Danica Roem and Sarah McBride but there are a growing number of trans candidates winning office!
But there are also, here are some who I could find:
- Olivia Hill — Nashville Metro Council, Tennessee
- Jennifer Williams — Trenton City Council, New Jersey
- Clare Killman — Carbondale City Council, Illinois
- Stephe Koontz — Doraville City Council, Georgia
- Gerri Cannon — New Hampshire House of Representatives
- Taylor Small — Vermont House of Representatives (2021-2025)
- Zooey Zephyr — Montana House of Representatives (2023-)
- Wick Thomas — Missouri House of Representatives (elected Nov 2024, term starts Jan 2025)
- Aime Wichtendahl — Iowa House of Representatives (2025-)
If you are seriously thinking about running for office you should consider consider contacting Emily's List, they;
At EMILYs List, we work to elect Democratic pro-choice women up and down the ballot and across the country with a goal of fighting for our rights and our communities.
My second recommendation is to attend the Campaign School for Social Workers. (It’s not just for social workers — it’s open to everyone!) I attended, and I learned a lot about running a political campaign. That’s also where I first heard about EMILY’s List. The presenters were incredibly supportive — they even sat down with me during a break to encourage me to run for office. They are very pro-trans!
Other places to get help in running a campaign that are LGBTQ specific:
- LGBTQ+ Victory Institute “Candidate & Campaign Trainings”
- A4 TransEquality “Political Candidate One-on-One Coaching Program”
- LGBT Network “Candidate Training Academy”
If you are seriously thinking about running for office in the 2026 elections, now is the time to start planning! I strongly encourage you to take some training. Running for office isn’t just about “throwing your hat in the ring” — it’s about fundraising, managing a campaign, organizing an office, and public speaking.
You’ll learn all of this (and more) in these training programs — and you’ll meet people who believe in you.
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