Christine Hallquist won the Democratic gubernatorial nomination in the U.S. State of Vermont on Tuesday, moving a step closer to becoming the nation’s first transgender Governor, U.S. media projected.
In another ground-breaking political moment, Somali-American State legislator Ilhan Omar claimed victory in her primary in Minnesota, putting her on track to become one of the first woman Muslim members of the U.S. House of Representatives.
“HISTORY MADE! @christineforvt just became the first trans/non-binary gubernatorial candidate from a major political party in American history!” the Victory Fund, an organisation that supports LGBTQ candidates, tweeted about Ms. Hallquist. But 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.
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The transition
Ms. 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.
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“Working to ensure that Vermont remains the special, inclusive and progressive place that it has always been... is what motivates Christine to seek the honour...” it says.
In Minnesota, Ilhan Omar — a Somali-American State legislator — declared victory in her primary race, a result also reported by U.S. media. “Ilhan Omar has been declared the winner of the primary election in the race for Congress to represent Minnesota’s Fifth District,” a statement on her website said. “As the first refugee elected to Congress (and the second Muslim woman after Rashida Tlaib of Michigan), Ilhan will bring a unique perspective and new energy to our nation’s capital,” it said.