Two transgender candidates—who happen to be Democrats named Misty—easily won the primaries in their congressional races. Even if they don’t win the general, they’ve made history simply by being the first trans candidates in a major party to make it this far, without running unopposed.
But it’s a steep climb from here. Both candidates are up against incumbent Republicans in red districts—the Colorado race is in the state’s most conservative. This November, Misty K. Snow will face tea party Sen. Mike Lee in Utah and Misty Plowright will seek to unseat Rep. Doug Lamborn in Colorado.
Still, Snow and Plowright won by clear margins in their primary races—by nearly 20 percentage points each—with both running progressive campaigns.
“A lot of people have told me whether I win or lose, I’m already making a difference just by running,” Snow said the Salt Lake City Tribune.
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Snow, 30, who currently works as a grocery store clerk, is also the first openly transgender person to run for a seat in the U.S. Senate. The 30-year-old currently is running a campaign inspired by Democratic Presidential candidate Bernie Sanders’ movement, pushing for changes like a $15 minimum wage and marijuana legalization.
Plowright, 33, who works in information technology, is a veteran and self-identified millennial who is also openly non-monogamous. The biography on her candidate website describes her longterm relationship with her wife Lisa, as well as their mutual partner, Sebastian. Plowright appears to also be the first openly polyamorous major party candidate to win a major party’s nomination for Congress.