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This article was originally published at Erin In The Morning.

Michigan is on track to welcome its first openly transgender woman to serve as a state representative.

Erin in the Morning readers likely first met Joanna Whaley in April or May of this year, when we reported that the 38-year-old hospital chaplain was running to be the state representative in Michigan’s 2nd House District. She had been temporarily knocked off the ballot because her opponent in the Democratic primary, Frank Liberati, contested her eligibility, arguing her name change documents were invalid and therefore disqualifying.

This maneuver didn’t work. Whaley beat Liberati and one other opponent in the Aug. 4 primary with 56% of the vote, with the second-place candidate trailing over 20 points behind. It was a margin of victory that surprised even Whaley. Now, Erin in the Morning can re-introduce her as the official Democratic nominee for Michigan’s 2nd House District.

She will face off against Republican Ronald Kokinda. But this district leans Democratic, making Whaley the predicted winner of the general election this November. If she crosses that finish line, she will be the first transgender woman to serve in the Michigan Legislature.

While equal rights for transgender people remains a priority,........

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