Miami
FLORIDA Quinnie Perez wins in Florida and, according to Equality Florida, becomes the state’s first openly transgender elected official
She secured a seat on the Orange County Soil and Water Conservation District Board. Equality Florida said the result marks a first for the state.
Quinnie Perez, 32, won a seat on the Orange County Soil and Water Conservation District Board and, according to Equality Florida, became the first openly transgender person elected to public office in Florida.
Florida Politics reported that Perez received more than 35,500 votes and nearly 43% in a three-candidate race for Seat 1. The outlet said she finished almost six points ahead of Doug Sahr and with more than double the share of Vicente Rafael Pérez Carreño.
After the election, Perez said she was still processing the outcome. She also said her decision to run followed a moment of harassment at a gym two days before the 2024 election, when a man mocked her appearance.
Perez works in cultivation and harvesting in the medical marijuana industry and has long advocated for farmworkers, according to Florida Politics. She grew up in Ocala and is the daughter of Mexican farmworkers.
On the board she was elected to, Florida Politics cited Winter Park Voice, which described it as having no budget and no power, with unpaid members.
During the campaign, Perez focused on environmental issues. Florida Politics said she spoke against large data centers, warned about their environmental impact, and addressed flooding and rapid population growth in Orange County.
The outlet also noted that Perez has been politically active on immigration reform, LGBTQ+ issues and education at both the state and national levels, while also working with Orlando Democrats and Equality Florida.
Sources
About this piece. Written by El Notero with AI assistance, from reporting published by the outlet cited above. El Notero did no original reporting on this story.
