Story at a glance
- Kendall Martinez-Wright is the first Black transgender woman to run for the Missouri House of Representatives.
- The activist hopes to represent her hometown of Palmyra, Mo., which falls in District 5.
- The seat isn’t up for a vote until 2022, but the state recently passed new redistricting measures that could affect the House.
Two days after Missouri’s House of Representatives passed a bill banning transgender athletes from participating in sports, Kendall Martinez-Wright announced her bid to be the first Black transgender woman in the chamber.
Hello! I am Kendall Martinez-Wright, I go by she her pronouns and I am the first Trans woman to run for the Missouri House of Representatives for 2022. I stand for all individuals and I will specifically stand for Trans folks here in Missouri. pic.twitter.com/nagDQZejKZ
— Kendall Martinez-Wright (@Kendall4MO) April 22, 2021
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“I wasn’t sure I was ever going to do this. It’s easy to battle with self-doubt, but after years of being active in the government and the community I realize we need people to be game-changers, especially young people,” Martinez-Wright told The Missouri Times. “We need to encourage involvement so people can understand how policy affects them on a personal level and how to engage. At the end of the day, it’s like what my mom told me: If you want to do something, don’t wait. You never know when you’ll have an opportunity again, and that’s why over the last few weeks I’ve been planning this.”
Martinez-Wright is running as a Democrat to represent Missouri’s fifth district, which includes her hometown of Palmyra, Mo., where she graduated from high school and now lives. The district is currently represented by Republican Rep. Louis Riggs, who had no Democratic challengers this November and will run again in 2022, but the state recently passed a new redistricting process.
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“I grew up in Palmyra, and I noticed that when it comes to rural communities, sometimes they can be overshadowed,” she told the Missouri Times. “With me being a very blunt minority — African-American as well as Puerto Rican and trans — I want to show individuals that no matter how you identify or where you are, your voice should always be heard, and I feel like at the end of the day there are voices that aren’t.”
In addition to civil rights issues, Martinez-Wright’s campaign website highlights education, infrastructure and agriculture as priorities for the state. The activist and organizer got her start working for Empower Missouri and the Mid-Missouri Young Democrats and is ready to take her turn on the ballot.
“Especially this year, when the pandemic hit, our communities and schools went to remote learning, and other areas of life were affected, I noticed that there is a real cry for help and to be heard,” she told the Missouri Times. “We need to address underperforming schools, ensure businesses and agriculture are operating and sustainable, and provide reliable internet infrastructure so students and families can be successful not only now during the pandemic but in the future.”
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