Sharon Brackett on Tuesday became the
first transgender woman elected to public office in Maryland.
Brackett edged out 14 competitors to be
elected to a 4-year term to the Democratic Central Committee
representing the Baltimore neighborhoods of Canton, Locust Point,
Federal Hill, Brooklyn, Curtis Bay and Cherry Hill, known as the 46th
District.
With 51 out of 53 precincts reporting,
Brackett received 3,901 votes on her first run for office, according
to a press release issued by the Brackett campaign.
In a tweet, she thanked her partner
Sara Law and her two children, Jess and Steven, for putting up with
her “campaign nonsense.” “Without them running around as
#TeamSharon winning would never have been possible!” she wrote.
In a Facebook post, she recognized the
historic nature of her win.
“I would like to believe that being
trans is the least interesting thing about me but I recognize the
significance and the importance that this moment brings especially to
thousands of trans individuals like myself who may have previously
thought public office was unattainable. Tonight’s victory is a
testament that with hard work, dedication and an ‘infectious
optimism’ that regardless of gender identity one can serve the
public in any capacity,” Brackett wrote.
Brackett, a computer engineer and
business executive, serves on the boards of Gender Rights Maryland
and OutServe-SLDN.
Another transgender woman, Laura Hart,
was elected Tuesday to the Democratic Central Committee in St. Mary's
county in an uncontested race.