Christine Hallquist. | Photo: Twitter
Christine Hallquist has made history as the first person to win nomination for a gubernatorial race for a major party in the United States.
Hallquist won the Democratic nomination on Tuesday in the state of Vermont against three other nominees. She will stand for Governor in November elections against Republican incumbent governor, Phil Scott.
An engineer by trade, Hallquist worked as a CEO at utility company before deciding to run for the governor.
She is running for the Governor’s seat to fight President Donald Trump’s policies and to use her platform to help LGBTI rights. Her campaign focussed on rural economic development, protecting the delivery of Medicare and promoting good quality public education.
‘Nationally, I want to be known as the first trans candidate,’ she told AP.
As a transgender woman and someone who cares deeply about this country, Christine Hallquist’s win isn’t just historic. It’s also a powerful rebuke against this White House that has worked non-stop over 19 months to harm and erase transgender Americans. Tonight, I feel pride.
— Charlotte Clymer🏳️🌈 (@cmclymer) August 15, 2018
‘We’re proud of Christine’
The head of the Democratic Governors Association, Gov. Jay Inslee of Washington state, said in a statement: ‘We’re proud of Christine’s historic candidacy, and we welcome her to the most diverse crop of gubernatorial nominees in American history.’
Winning the governor’s nomination isn’t the first time Hallquist has made history.
She became one of the first people to transition while working as a CEO. Hallquist transitioned in 2015 while working as the CEO of Vermont’s biggest utility companies, Vermont Electric Cooperative.
One of her three children documented her transition in a documentary.
‘My path to being my authentic self was certainly not easy,’ she said earlier this year.
‘However, it’s always been important to me to live openly and honestly. I chose to transition in a very public way because I felt I owed it to those at Vermont Electric Cooperative who put their trust in me.’
Despite living in a progressive state, Hallquist faces a tough challenge to win office. She’s up against the incumbent Republican Governor Phil Scott. Vermont has not voted out an incumbent governor since 1962.
Record number of LGBTI candidates
The gubernatorial race and nominations for the upcoming mid-terms has attracted a record number of LGBTI candidates across the United States.
More than 400 LGBTI political candidates are running for office in 2018, according to a The Victory Institute study.
Hallquist’s win in her primary follows several other transgender candidates entering political office. Last November, Virginian Danica Roem became the first trans person in US history to be elected to a state legislature.
Roem supported and advised Hallquist during her campaign quickly congratulated her after her historic win.
Victory!
Congratulations, @christineforvt on winning your primary.
If anyone tells you the Republican incumbent is too entrenched for you to defeat in the general election… yeah, about that.
Go win. https://t.co/dporEEzbw0— Danica Roem (@pwcdanica) August 15, 2018
‘Victory!’ tweeted Roem. ‘Congratulations, @christineforvt on winning your primary. If anyone tells you the Republican incumbent is too entrenched for you to defeat in the general election… yeah, about that. Go win.’
Former presidential hopeful and Democrat Senator Bernie Sanders also offered his congratulations.
‘Congratulations to @christineforvt for her Democratic primary win for Governor of Vermont tonight. Let’s continue making history and win this November!’
Congratulations to @christineforvt for her Democratic primary win for Governor of Vermont tonight. Let’s continue making history and win this November!
— Bernie Sanders (@BernieSanders) August 15, 2018
