Amanda Simpson, who transitioned about three years ago, is running for the Arizona House of Representatives and making history.
There’s a local story from news channel KOLD below, and you can donate to Ms. Simpson’s campaign via her website.
She happens to also be an old friend of Lacey Leigh, the author of Out & About and 7 Secrets of Successful Crossdressers, both of which I highly recommend.
Local Arizona new story about Amanda Simpson:
http://www.kold.com/Global/story.asp?S=2163886&nav=14RTPmaR
By Dan Marries, KOLD News 13
Posted: 8/11/05
A Tucson woman is running for the Arizona House of Representatives and making history.
Amanda Simpson is head of advanced and special programs at Raytheon. KOLD News 13 introduced you to her three years ago, when she went public with her sex change. Now, Simpson is set to be the first transsexual in the nation to win a primary.
Simpson doesn’t want her gender to take away from her plans for the future of Arizona. Her political platform includes improving education, dealing with Arizona’s explosive population growth, and affordable healthcare.
But politics can get dirty. And Simpson says she plans to stay away from the mud slinging by sticking to the issues.
“The issues that affect this state that are important to this district, that are crucial to this county have nothing to do with my gender,” she says.
Simpson is unopposed in the September 7th Democratic primary election for District 26. She’ll become the first openly transgender candidate nominated for state office by a major political party in the united states.
“But that’s not why I’m running,” she says.
Simpson wants to bring change through affective leadership. In addition to her Raytheon position, she’s an airline transport pilot and a certified flight instructor. Now she’s expanding her wings into the sometimes vicious ring of politics.
“I certainly don’t deny what I am. If they want to alert the world that I’m a transgendered person that’s fine. I’m not going to deny that.”
Simpson says legislators have not been making good decisions, trading away Arizona’s future with short-sighted decisions.
But are Arizonans ready for a transexual candidate? Simpson believes they are, and she’s counting on their vote.
Simpson has a tough race ahead of her. She’s one of four candidates vying for two seats in district 26. She’s up against incumbent Republicans Steve Huffman and Pete Hershberger and Democrat Martin Drozdoff.
All four will advance to the general election when voters will vote for only two of them.