Althea Garrison (born October 7, 1940) is an American politician from Boston, Massachusetts, who was elected as a Republican to the Massachusetts House of Representatives in 1992 and served one term from 1993 to 1995. Both before and after Garrison's successful bid for office, she has run unsuccessfully in multiple elections for the state legislature and Boston City Council, as a Republican, Democrat, or independent, which has resulted in her being described in the media as a "perennial candidate". Garrison is also known as the first transgender or transsexual person to be elected to a state legislature in the United States.
Video Althea Garrison
Background
Garrison was formerly known by the name A. C. Garson. Born in Hahira, Georgia, Garrison attended Hahira High School there. Garrison moved to Boston to attend beauty school, but went on to enroll in Newbury Junior College and received an associate degree there. Garrison later received a B.S. degree in administration from Suffolk University, an M.S. degree in management from Lesley College, and a certificate in special studies in administration and management from Harvard University.
According to records in the Suffolk County Probate Court, Garrison petitioned for a name change from A. C. Garson to Althea Garrison in 1976. The petition stated that the name Althea Garrison "is consistent with petitioner's appearance and medical condition and is the name by which he [sic] will be known in the future."
Maps Althea Garrison
Political career
- Early years
In 1982 and 1986, Garrison ran unsuccessfully for the Massachusetts House of Representatives as a Democrat. She ran unsuccessfully for Boston City Council in 1983, 1985, 1987, 1989, and 1991. During the 1991 campaign, the Boston Herald noted that she had run for office nine times, although Garrison herself later described the race as her 10th or 11th bid for office. In the 1991 race, Garrison finished in third place in the District 7 preliminary election.
- Massachusetts House
In 1992, Garrison ran successfully for the 5th Suffolk district in the Massachusetts House, representing the Dorchester and Roxbury areas of Boston. Garrison's 1992 election to the legislature was made possible in part by the fact that she challenged some of the signatures that the then-incumbent representative, Nelson Merced, had submitted to qualify for the Democratic primary ballot. Her challenge was successful and meant that Garrison did not have to run against an incumbent in the general election. In the general election, Garrison defeated Democratic candidate Irene Roman, 2,451 votes to 2,014.
The fact that Garrison had been formerly known as a male was not widely publicized until shortly after she was elected to the legislature. When the Boston Herald asked whether she was a man, Garrison denied it and ended the conversation when asked about her past, including her name change.
In the Massachusetts House, Garrison consistently voted in favor of labor unions, resulting in her being endorsed for re-election by the Massachusetts AFL-CIO and eight unions. On many votes, she voted with the Democrats in the legislature rather than with the Republicans. However, she opposed same-sex marriage and abortion.
Garrison was defeated in her 1994 bid for re-election by Democratic candidate Charlotte Golar Richie by a margin of 2,108 votes to 1,718.
- Later years
Garrison's later runs for office, all unsuccessful, have included:
- 1995: District 7 seat in the Boston City Council election
- 1997: District 7 seat in the Boston City Council election
- 1999: District 7 seat in the Boston City Council election
- 2000: Massachusetts House as an "Independent Progressive" candidate;
- 2001: Boston mayoral election
- 2002: special election for the 1st Suffolk district in the Massachusetts Senate as a Republican
- 2003: at-large seat in the Boston City Council election
- 2005: at-large seat in the Boston City Council election
- 2006: Massachusetts House as a Republican candidate
- 2009: District 7 seat in the Boston City Council election
- 2010: 5th Suffolk district in the Massachusetts House, finishing third in the Democratic primary
- 2011: special election to fill a vacancy on the Boston City Council, District 7, finishing in fourth place in the preliminary election
- 2013: at-large seat in the Boston City Council election
- 2015: at-large seat in the Boston City Council election
- 2017: at-large seat in the Boston City Council election
Besides her one term in the Massachusetts House, Garrison has worked in human resources for the Massachusetts state comptroller's office, where she used her vacation time to run for office, and served for four years on the Metropolitan Area Planning Council.
See also
- Stacie Laughton, first openly trangender person to be elected to state legislature
- Danica Roem, first openly trangender person to be elected, and presumably to serve, to state legislature
References
Further reading
- Bernstein, David S. (July 3, 2013). "Candidate Chat: Althea Garrison". Boston (magazine). Retrieved February 21, 2018.
- Carr, Howie (February 23, 2018). "Althea Garrison's Time Has Finally Come". howiecarrshow.com. Retrieved March 7, 2018.
Source of the article : Wikipedia
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