# List of transgender public officeholders in the United States

This is a list of openly transgender, intersex, and nonbinary officeholders by office in the United States. The first transgender public officeholder in the United States was Joanne Marie Conte, elected to Arvada, Colorado's City Council in 1991.
As of January 2025, the highest-ranking public official is Sarah McBride, who represents Delaware's at-large congressional district in the United States House of Representatives. The highest ranking appointed official was Rachel Levine, who was an Assistant Secretary for Health from 2021 to 2024.
This list is arranged chronologically by politicians' first years in each office. Some officeholders listed were not elected while out as transgender, and either came out or were outed at a later date.

## Background

As of 2021, 77 transgender, non-binary, intersex, and genderqueer officials served in public elected positions. This represented a nearly fivefold increase from 2018, when only 16 openly transgender individuals had been elected to office in the United States. On November 7, 2017, eight transgender individuals were elected to public office. This is the most transgender individuals elected to office in a single day.

## Federal offices
### Executive

| Name | Entered office | Left office | Office(s) held | Tenure | Notes |
| Dylan Orr | December 7, 2009 | June 12, 2015 | Special Assistant to Assistant Secretary of Labor | 2009-2015 | Orr is the first openly transgender person to be appointed in a presidential administration. |
| Amanda Simpson | December 29, 2009 | January 19, 2017 | Senior Technical Advisor to the Bureau of Industry and Security, First Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Operational Energy | 2009-2017 | Simpson is the first openly transgender woman to be appointed in a presidential administration. She is also the first openly transgender person to lead a United States Department of Defense organization. |
| Rachel Levine | March 26, 2021 | January 20, 2025 | Assistant Secretary for Health | 2021–2025 | Levine is the first openly transgender person to hold an office that requires Senate confirmation. She was the highest-ranking openly transgender official in the US and the first openly transgender four-star admiral. |

### Legislative

| Image | Name | Party | Chamber | Representing state | Office(s) held | Tenure | Notes |
| | Sarah McBride | Democratic | US House of Representatives | Delaware | US representative for Delaware's at-large congressional district | 2025- | McBride is the first openly transgender person to be elected to the United States Congress. Previously, McBride served in the Delaware State Senate; in 2020, she was the first transgender person elected to any state's upper house. |

## State offices
### Executive

| Image | Name (lifespan) | Party | State | Office held | Tenure | Notes |
| | Kim Coco Iwamoto | Democratic | Hawaii | Hawai’i Board of Education | 2006–2011 | Iwamoto was the first transgender person elected to statewide office in Hawaii. |
| | Lauren Scott | Republican | Nevada | Commissioner, Nevada Equal Rights Commission | 2012–2016 | Scott was also the first openly transgender person to win a Republican primary election for a state legislative office, running for the Nevada Assembly's 30th District in 2014. |

### Legislative

| Name (lifespan) | Party | State | Office held | Tenure | Notes |
| Althea Garrison | Republican | Massachusetts | Massachusetts House of Representatives, 5th Suffolk district | 1993–1995 | Garrison is the first transgender person to serve in a state legislature, but she was not openly transgender when first elected in 1992. She was later outed while in office. Garrison later served in the Boston City Council by appointment to fill a vacancy in 2018. |
| Stacie-Marie Laughton | Democratic | New Hampshire | New Hampshire House of Representatives, Ward 4 | 2012 (elected only, not served) | Though Laughton was the first openly transgender person elected to a state legislature in 2012, she was forced to resign prior to inauguration after past felonies became public. |
| Stacie-Marie Laughton | Democratic | New Hampshire | New Hampshire House of Representatives, District 31 | 2020–2022 | She ran again and won in 2020, and won her reelection in 2022, but she ultimately resigned in December 2022 after being arrested for stalking. She has since been arrested again, this time for felony distribution of child sexual abuse images. |
| Alisson Turcotte | Democratic | New Hampshire | New Hampshire House of Representatives, 11th Merrimack district (formerly 22nd Merrimack) | 2012–2024 | Came out as transgender after her 2022 re-election. |
| Danica Roem | Democratic | Virginia | Virginia Senate, 30th district | 2024–present | First openly transgender person to be elected and served in a state legislature in 2017; first transgender state senator elected in the Southern United States in 2023; first openly transgender person to serve in both houses of a state legislature in 2024. |
| Danica Roem | Democratic | Virginia | Virginia House of Delegates, 13th district | 2018–2024 | First openly transgender person to be elected and served in a state legislature in 2017; first transgender state senator elected in the Southern United States in 2023; first openly transgender person to serve in both houses of a state legislature in 2024. |
| Brianna Titone | Democratic | Colorado | Colorado House of Representatives, 27th district | 2019–present | |
| Gerri Cannon | Democratic | New Hampshire | New Hampshire House of Representatives, Strafford 18th district (now 12th district) | 2018–2024 | |
| Lisa Bunker | Democratic | New Hampshire | New Hampshire House of Representatives, Rockingham 18th District | 2018–2022 | |
| Sarah McBride | Democratic | Delaware | Delaware Senate | 2021–2025 | First transgender member of a state Senate, elected in November 2020. |
| Stephanie Byers | Democratic | Kansas | Kansas House of Representatives, 86th district | 2021–2023 | The first openly trans woman of color to serve in and to be elected to a state legislature and the first Native American trans person to hold elected office in the United States. |
| Taylor Small | Democratic, Progressive | Vermont | Vermont House of Representatives, Chittenden 6–7 district (now Chittenden-21) | 2021–2025 | |
| Mauree Turner | Democratic | Oklahoma | Oklahoma State House of Representatives, district 88 | 2021–2025 | The first non-binary state legislator and the only current transgender state legislator of color. |
| Zooey Zephyr | Democratic | Montana | Montana House of Representatives, district 95 | 2023–present | She is the first openly transgender elected official in the Montana Legislature. |
| Leigh Finke | Democratic (DFL) | Minnesota | Minnesota House of Representatives, District 66A | 2023–present | She is the first openly transgender elected official in the Minnesota Legislature. |
| James Roesener | Democratic | New Hampshire | New Hampshire House of Representatives, 22nd Merrimack | 2023–present | He is the first transgender man elected to a state legislature. |
| SJ Howell | Democratic | Montana | Montana House of Representatives, District 100 | 2023–present | Became the first nonbinary state legislator in Montana when they were elected. |
| Brion Curran | Democratic (DFL) | Minnesota | Minnesota House of Representatives, District 36B | 2023–present | Curran came out as nonbinary between their 2022 and 2024 elections. |
| Alice Wade | Democratic | New Hampshire | New Hampshire House of Representatives, 15th Strafford | 2024- present | |
| Aime Wichtendahl | Democratic | Iowa | Iowa House of Representatives, District 80 | 2025–present | The first transgender person to serve in the Iowa legislature. |
| Kim Coco Iwamoto | Democratic | Hawaii | Hawaii House of Representatives, District 25 | 2025–present | The first transgender person elected to the Hawaii legislature. Previously the first transgender person elected to statewide office in Hawaii (Board of Education, 2006). |
| Wick Thomas | Democratic | Missouri | Missouri House of Representatives, District 19 | 2025–present | The first out nonbinary person elected to state office in Missouri. |

## Local offices
### Executive

| Name | Party | Locality | Office(s) held | Tenure | Notes |
| Stu Rasmussen (1948–2021) | Nonpartisan office | Silverton, Oregon | Mayor | 2009–2015 | First transgender mayor in the United States. He had served as mayor of Willamette Valley in the 1990s, before coming out as transgender. He was also three times a member of the city council. |
| Jess Herbst | Nonpartisan office | New Hope, Texas | Mayor | 2016–2018 | Herbst became the first openly transgender mayor in Texas in 2016 when the then-mayor died days before the election, but still won. Herbst, who was Mayor pro-tem, was then appointed to the position. She came out as transgender after being appointed to the office. |
| Betsy Driver | Democratic | Flemington, New Jersey | Mayor | 2019–2023 | She is the first openly intersex person elected mayor in the United States. Also was the first intersex person elected to any political office when elected to town council in 2017. |
| Lisa Middleton | Democratic | Palm Springs, California | Mayor | 2021–2022 | |

### Legislative

| Name | Party, if known | Locality | Office(s) held | Tenure | Notes |
| Joanne Marie Conte (1933–2013) | None | Arvada, Colorado | City Council | 1991–1995 | Conte is considered the first openly transgender person elected to public office in the United States. |
| Michelle Bruce | | Riverdale, Georgia | City Council | 2004–2008 | Bruce was sued by her political opponents for fraud because she allegedly misled voters concerning her gender. The Georgia Supreme Court ruled in favor of Bruce. |
| Claire Elizabeth Hall | None | Lincoln County, Oregon | County Commissioner | 2004–present | Hall transitioned in June 2018 during her fourth term as commissioner and was subsequently re-elected in 2020. |
| Jessica Orsini | | Centralia, Missouri | Alderwoman | 2006–2010 | |
| Vered Meltzer | | Appleton, Wisconsin | City Council, District 2 | 2014–present | |
| Aime Wichtendahl | Democratic | Hiawatha, Iowa | City Council | 2016–2025 | The first openly trans woman elected to government in Iowa. Re-elected in 2019. |
| Betsy Driver | Democratic | Flemington, New Jersey | Town Council | 2017–2019 | First intersex person elected to public office in the U.S. Also served as mayor of Flemington, 2019–2023. |
| Phillipe Cunningham | Democratic (DFL) | Minneapolis, Minnesota | City Council, Ward 4 | 2018–2022 | First openly trans man of color to be elected to office. |
| Andrea Jenkins | Democratic (DFL) | Minneapolis, Minnesota | City Council, Ward 8 | Council member (2018–present) Council President (2022–2024) | Became the first openly transgender black woman to be elected to office in 2017. |
| Stephe Koontz | | Doraville, Georgia | City Council, 3rd District | 2018–present | First openly transgender person elected in Georgia |
| Lisa Middleton | | Palm Springs, California | City Council (member at-large, 2017–2020; 5th district, 2020–2025) | 2017–2025 | Also served as mayor of Palm Springs in 2021. |
| Althea Garrison | Independent | Boston, Massachusetts | Boston City Council, member at-large | 2019–2020 | Appointed as the at-large representative when Ayanna Pressley was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives in 2018. She had previously served in the Massachusetts House in the 1990s. |
| Kathryn Ottersten | None | Fairbanks, Alaska | City Council, Seat D | 2019–2020 | Ottersten was the first openly intersex person elected in Alaska. |
| Rita Schenkelberg | | Bend, Oregon | City Council | 2020-2022 | First out trans person of color to hold elected office in Oregon and first out nonbinary person to hold municipal office in Oregon. |
| Liz Lyke | | Fairbanks North Star Borough | Borough Assembly | 2020–2024 | |
| Veronica Pejril | Democratic | Greencastle, Indiana | Common Council | 2020–2024 | The first openly transgender elected official in Indiana. Currently running for Indiana State Senate, District 24. |
| Donna Price | Democratic | Albemarle County, Virginia | Board of Supervisors, Scottsville Magisterial District | Vice-chair, 2020–2023; Chair, 2023 | The first transgender supervisor and second elected public official in the State. Elected November 2019. Retired in late 2023. |
| Rosemary Ketchum | Democratic | Wheeling, West Virginia | City Council | 2020–2024 | The first out trans person to be elected to public office in West Virginia, elected in June 2020. |
| Evelyn Rios Stafford | Democratic | Washington County, Arkansas | Justice of the Peace | 2021–present | First trans woman elected in Arkansas and one of first elected Latina women in the state |
| Christopher Kalcich | | Selinsgrove, Pennsylvania | Borough Council | 2021–present | The first transgender elected official in Snyder County and Central Pennsylvania. |
| Mary Nolan | | Portland, Oregon | Metro Council, District 5 | 2021-present | Nolan has come out as nonbinary after taking office. |
| Ashley Shade | | North Adams, Massachusetts | City Council, at-large | 2022–present | |
| Clare Killman | | Carbondale, Illinois | City Council | 2023–present | Killman is the first transgender city council member in Illinois. |
| Olivia Hill | | Nashville and Davidson County, Tennessee | Metropolitan Council | 2023–present | Hill is the first transgender elected official in Tennessee. |
| Dina Nina Martinez-Rutherford | None | Madison, Wisconsin | Common Council | 2023–present | The first openly transgender woman elected in Wisconsin. |
| Jennifer Williams | Republican | Trenton, New Jersey | City Council, North Ward | 2023–present | First openly transgender councilmember in New Jersey. |
| Tyler Titus | Democratic | Erie, Pennsylvania | City Council | 2024–present | |
| Emma Curtis | | Lexington, Kentucky | Lexington-Fayette Urban County Council, 4th District | 2025–present | Believed to be the first openly transgender person elected to a city office in Kentucky. |

### Judicial

| Image | Name | Party, if known | Locality | Office(s) held | Tenure | Notes |
| | Victoria Kolakowski | | Alameda County, California | Superior Court Judge | 2011–present | Considered the first transgender person elected judge. |

### Boards and commissions

| Name | Party, if known | Locality | Office(s) held | Tenure | Notes |
| Amanda Simpson | | Tucson, Arizona | Commissioner of the Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender Commission | 2001–c.2009 | Later was elected or appointed to many different positions, including a precinct committee. |
| Amanda Simpson | | Tucson, Arizona | Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Operational Energy | 2015–2017 | Later was elected or appointed to many different positions, including a precinct committee. |
| Theresa Sparks | | San Francisco, California | Chair of the LGBT Advisory Committee, San Francisco Human Rights Commission | 2001–2004 | |
| Theresa Sparks | | San Francisco, California | Commissioner, San Francisco Police Commission President, 2007–2009 | 2004–2009 | |
| Jordan Evans | Republican | Charlton, Massachusetts | Board of Trustees of the Public Library | 2016–2022 | |
| Jay Irwin | | Ralston, Nebraska | School Board member | 2016–2023 | First openly trans man to be elected to office. |
| Gerri Cannon | Democratic | Somersworth, New Hampshire | School Board member | 2017–2018 | Currently serving in the New Hampshire House of Representatives. |
| Tyler Titus | | Erie, Pennsylvania | School Board member | 2017–2021 | The first openly transgender person elected in Pennsylvania. Currently serving on the Erie City Council. |
| Tyler Titus | | Erie, Pennsylvania | School Board President | 2020–2021 | The first openly transgender person elected in Pennsylvania. Currently serving on the Erie City Council. |
| Brandy Fortson | | Corvallis, Oregon | Corvallis School District board member | 2019–2022 | First nonbinary person to hold office in Oregon. |
| Monika Nemeth | | Washington, D.C. | Commissioner, Advisory Neighborhood Commission, 3F06 | 2018–2023 | First trans person to hold public office in Washington, D.C. |
| Charlotte Clymer | | Washington, D.C. | Commissioner, Commission on Human Rights | 2022–present | First transgender appointee confirmed by District Council. |
| Daniella Mendez | Democratic | Dover, New Jersey | Board of Education member | 2022–2025 | First trans woman elected to a Board of Education in New Jersey. |
| Daniella Mendez | Democratic | Dover, New Jersey | Board of Education President | 2023–2025 | First trans woman elected to a Board of Education in New Jersey. |
| Hayden Gise | | Washington, D.C. | Commissioner, Advisory Neighborhood Commission, 3C01 | 2022–2025 | Second trans person to hold elected office in Washington, D.C. |
| Stephen Coleman Kenny | | Washington, D.C. | Commissioner, Advisory Neighborhood Commission, 1A05 | 2022–2025 | First nonbinary person to hold elected office in Washington, D.C. |
| Rebecca Blankenship | | Berea, Kentucky | School Board member | 2022–present | She is the first openly transgender elected official in Kentucky. |
| Kina Chadwick | | Bend, Oregon | Bend-La Pine School District board member | 2022-present | |
| Dion Manley | Nonpartisan | Franklin County, Ohio | Gahanna-Jefferson School Board member | 2022–present | The first transgender elected official in Ohio. |
| Precious Brady-Davis | | Cook County, Illinois | Member of the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago | 2023-present | Appointed in July 2023 then elected by special election in 2024. |

## Other elected positions
### Neighborhood organizations

| Image | Name | Party | Locality | Office(s) held | Tenure | Notes |
| | Rachael Rose Luckey | | Los Angeles, California | Board member of the Rampart Village Neighborhood | 2017-present | |
| | Maebe A. Girl | Democratic | Los Angeles, California | Member of the Silver Lake Neighborhood Council | 2019-present | Girl is the first drag queen elected to public office in the United States. She is a three-time candidate for California's 30th congressional district and the first non-binary person to advance to a general election for a House seat. Girl is non-binary and uses she/her and they/them pronouns. |

### Party offices

| Name | Party | State | Office(s) held | Tenure | Notes |
| Traci Baker | Libertarian | Oklahoma | Secretary, Libertarian Party of Oklahoma | 2018- present | First transgender person elected in Oklahoma. First openly transgender person elected as a state-level executive for a recognized political party in the United States. |
| Blaizen Bloom | Green | Virginia | Press-secretary, Green Party of Virginia | 2020- 2021 | Non-binary and gender fluid |
| Blaizen Bloom | Green | Virginia | Non-Male Cochair, Green Party of Virginia | 2021- present | Non-binary and gender fluid |
| Kristen Browde | Democratic | Florida | Vice president, Florida Democratic Party LGBTQ+ Caucus | 2023- present | |
| Laura Calvo | Democratic | Oregon | Democratic National Committee member | 2013 | |
| Émilia Decaudin | Democratic | New York | Democratic District Leader, 37th State Assembly District | 2020- present | With Melissa Sklarz, first openly transgender district leaders in New York State. First transgender member of the New York State Democratic Committee. |
| Émilia Decaudin | Democratic | New York | New York State Democratic Committee member | 2018- 2020 | With Melissa Sklarz, first openly transgender district leaders in New York State. First transgender member of the New York State Democratic Committee. |
| Honey Mahogany | Democratic | California | 3rd Vice Chair, San Francisco Democratic County Central Committee, 17th District | 2020 | First Black transgender person elected in California |
| Rachel Nyx | Libertarian | California | Vice Chair, Libertarian Party of California | 2021- present | First openly transgender person elected vice chair of a state party in California |
| Michelle Risher | Democratic | Oregon | Chair, Democratic Party of Oregon (DPO)'s Stonewall (LGBTQ+) Caucus | 2017- 2019 | She is the first transgender person elected as a first, senior, or second vice-chair of a state or territorial Democratic party, and the first to be next in the line of succession to the party chair. |
| Michelle Risher | Democratic | Oregon | Vice-chair, DPO | 2019 | She is the first transgender person elected as a first, senior, or second vice-chair of a state or territorial Democratic party, and the first to be next in the line of succession to the party chair. |
| Ashley Shade | Libertarian | Massachusetts | Treasurer, Massachusetts Libertarian Party | 2019- 2020 | First transgender person elected as treasurer of a Libertarian State Party. First elected transgender state party officer in Massachusetts. First transgender state party chair in Massachusetts. |
| Ashley Shade | Libertarian | Massachusetts | Chair, Massachusetts Libertarian Party | 2021- 2022 | First transgender person elected as treasurer of a Libertarian State Party. First elected transgender state party officer in Massachusetts. First transgender state party chair in Massachusetts. |
| Barbra Casbar Siperstein | Democratic | New Jersey | Democratic National Committee member | 2009- 2017 | |
| Melissa Sklarz | Democratic | New York | Democratic District Leader, 30th State Assembly District | 2020- present | With Émilia Decaudin, first openly transgender district leaders in New York State |
| Boudicca Walsh | Democratic | Washington | Chair, Thurston County Democrats | 2017 | |
| Brianna Westbrook | Democratic | Arizona | Vice-chair, Democratic Party of Arizona | 2019- present | She is the first transgender person elected a vice-chair of a state Democratic Party. |
| Venn Sage Wylde | Democratic | Oregon | Precinct Committee member, Multnomah County | 2003 (overall committee membership) 2018 (as a "committeeperson") | They are nonbinary. Following their filing, the County Elections Director determined that the county would add a third column for "committeeperson" to the year's primary ballot, which previously only had space for "committeeman" and "committeewoman." |