LEXINGTON, Ky. — The 2024 Kentucky primary election wasn’t Emma Curtis’ first time throwing her hat into the political ring.
But this go around, she was met with outpouring support by voters in Lexington’s 4th district.
Curtis finished second behind Brenda Monarrez, who is running for reelection and is the first person of Latin-American descent to serve on the Lexington-Fayette Urban County Council. Being a nonpartisan race, the top two primary finishers will face off again in November to serve on the 15-seat council.
This victory is special, as Curtis will become the first transgender candidate to succeed in a primary and have their name appear on a general election ballot.
“We proved that we are in it to win it,” Curtis said.
Curtis grew up in the district she hopes to represent and said since she was young, she never saw people like her represented in local politics.
“I hope that this primary result can prove to the kids today who are feeling the same way that I felt when I was a kid that they do belong and that their voice does matter, and if they have ideas, they should bring them to the table because this is their government, too,” Curtis said.
She said the issues her constituents face are universal, no matter their gender. Curtis added in the thousands of conversations she has had with people while knocking on doors, her gender is not often the topic of discussion.
“It’s not something that most folks who live here care about,” Curtis said. “It’s not that they don’t see me as I am, but they want to know what I’m going to do about Nicholasville Road. They want to know what I’m going to do about affordable housing. They want to know what I’m going to do about making sure that we have good economic investment in south Lexington.”
Curtis said her success also counters the stereotype of places like Kentucky not being accepting of all kinds of people.
“There is a narrative that’s been told for decades about Kentucky being a place where, if you are any type of other, you can’t succeed,” Curtis said. “And that’s just not true.”
Outside of her council run, Curtis has also spent much time at the state Capitol in Frankfort, advocating against several bills affecting the LGBTQ+ community. Curtis was one of the many outspoken critics of the broad-reaching anti-trans bill, Senate Bill 150, in 2023. The bill affected transgender youth, how sexuality is discussed in schools, and access to gender transition services by minors.
This year, several bills that would have affected the LGBTQ+ community failed to pass.
Should Curtis win in November, she would become the second transgender public official in Kentucky. Rebecca Blankenship made history in 2022 after securing a spot on the Berea school board as a write-in candidate.