Transgender Senate-hopeful to take on only openly-gay Maryland senator
A trans woman could become the first in the state of Maryland to hold a seat in the Senate, if she wins a battle with the Senate’s only openly gay member.
Dana Beyer, the executive director of Gender Rights Maryland who previously worked for former Council member Duchy Trachtenber, announced her intention to run this week.
The retired surgeon will need to beat Senator Richard Madaleno Jr, for the seat. She has unsuccessfully run for the House of Delegates twice before.
Senator Madaleno did not seem to be worried by the challenge.
He said: “I’m proud of my rather lengthy list of accomplishments…I think the last four years in particular have been the most progressive in Maryland history.”
The Senator notes that there are now eight openly gay members of the Maryland General Assembly, which he believes to be more than in any other state.
Writing on her website, Beyer said: “I know firsthand [sic] what it takes to create quality jobs. I am determined to level the playing field for our families, starting with raising the minimum wage – a critical step in rebuilding our middle class and giving working people a chance to support themselves. I’ll help grow our economy by expanding loans and tax credits for small businesses, repairing and modernizing our infrastructure and working to eliminate corporate tax loopholes.”
