May 7, 2018
Transgender Texas Mayor Loses Election Bid for Full Term
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The mayor of a small Texas town who came out as transgender after being appointed to the job has lost her election bid for a full two-year term.
The Dallas Morning News reports that New Hope Mayor Jess Herbst was running to become the first openly transgender elected official in Texas. Election results show she finished third Saturday in the four-person race, with 53 votes. The winner received 95.
Herbst became mayor in May 2016 when her predecessor died. At the time, she was an alderman and went by the name Jeff. She publicly came out as transgender during a council meeting last year.
Herbst says she was proud of the election turnout in New Hope, which has fewer than 500 registered voters.
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Information from: The Dallas Morning News, http://www.dallasnews.com
