US transgender woman wins Democratic nod for Governor in Vermont

Christine Hallquist has won the Democratic gubernatorial nomination in the US state of Vermont, moving a step closer to becoming the nation’s first transgender governor. She still faces an uphill battle in the general election, when she is projected to face Republican incumbent Phil Scott, who has been in office since 2016. “HISTORY MADE! @christineforvt just became the first trans/non-binary gubernatorial candidate from a major political party in American history!” tweeted the Victory Fund, an organisation that supports LGBTQ candidates. Hallquist transitioned while heading the Vermont Electricity Coop, several years before launching her gubernatorial bid.

In 2015, “Christine made the decision, after years of holding it inside, to come out as her true self, a transgender woman, becoming the first business leader in the country to transition while in office,” according to her campaign’s website.

Hallquist beat out James Ehlers, a Navy veteran and environmentalist, and Brenda Siegel, the executive director of a dance festival, to win the Democratic nomination.