Kansas could elect its first openly transgender lawmaker this fall
Stephanie Byers first thought about running for office while driving her convertible in the Wichita Pride parade in September as Kansas Lt. Gov. Lynn Rogers (D) perched on the open back to wave at the crowd.
“He said, ‘Well, you know, it’s not a bad idea for you to run for office,’ ” Byers said in an interview for the Elect More Womxn podcast hosted by Ashley Lesieur.
Three weeks after that conversation, she started campaigning as a Democrat for the open state representative seat in the district where she lives in Wichita. Now, Byers could become the first openly transgender person elected to the state legislature in Kansas.
Running unopposed, Byers won Tuesday’s Democratic primary and will move on to the November ballot in the longtime left-leaning district, where she’ll face off with Republican candidate Cyndi Howerton.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2020/08/05/kansas-could-elect-its-first-openly-transgender-lawmaker-this-fall/