A former Human Rights Campaign state director who identifies as “nonbinary transgender” topped the Democratic primary in Georgia last month and now stands months away from taking a seat in the state legislature, according to a report from The Daily Signal.
Bentley Hudgins secured the most votes in the Democratic primary for House District 90, which covers parts of DeKalb County. If successful in November’s general election, Hudgins would become Georgia’s first openly nonbinary transgender politician sworn into the state’s top legislative body, replacing outgoing Representative Saira Draper.
Hudgins previously served as Georgia state director for the Human Rights Campaign, one of the nation’s most prominent LGBT advocacy organizations.
“To me, it shows that the voters are tired of the hate and they just care about somebody’s qualifications,” Hudgins said in a recent interview. “But as a representative, I view the win, historic or not, as a starting point, and it’s up to me to prove to the people of my House district that good government can happen and that we can build a democracy that is worth fighting for.”
The primary victory came as part of a broader push by Georgia Democrats to elect transgender candidates to state office. Two other transgender candidates made competitive bids for legislative seats in the same election cycle.
Aaron Baker, a Democratic candidate for Georgia State House District 51, came within 10 percent of securing his party’s nomination. Baker launched his campaign after boasting on social media about “getting his [explicit] removed,” and ran against incumbent Esther Panitch.
Baker made clear his campaign was motivated by opposition to recent legislative priorities in the Republican-controlled statehouse.
“After years of the Georgia Legislature ignoring the real affordability crisis people are facing, they have instead chosen to pass anti-immigrant, anti-DEI, and anti-trans legislation to scapegoat people like me. But we are fighting back,” Baker said in a previous interview.
Robin McCoy, another transgender Democrat, mounted a challenge for Georgia State Senate District 5. McCoy lost by fewer than 1,000 votes, signaling that transgender candidates are gaining traction in certain Democratic strongholds across the state.
The Georgia legislature has moved in recent sessions to address concerns about gender ideology in schools and public institutions, efforts that critics like Baker characterize as targeting transgender individuals. Supporters of such measures argue they protect children and preserve commonsense distinctions between men and women.
DeKalb County, where Hudgins’ district is located, has long been a Democratic stronghold in the Atlanta metropolitan area. The district’s partisan lean means Hudgins faces a clear path to victory in November’s general election.
The potential swearing-in of Georgia’s first nonbinary transgender lawmaker would mark a significant moment for progressive activists who have worked to normalize gender ideology in American political life. For many Georgia families who hold to traditional Christian values, the development represents yet another sign of the cultural shifts reshaping the Democratic Party.
Hudgins framed the primary win as a mandate from voters who prioritize qualifications over identity concerns. Critics might note that running as a transgender candidate in a heavily Democratic district hardly represents a groundswell of mainstream support for gender ideology.
The November general election will determine whether Hudgins takes office when the Georgia legislature convenes for its upcoming session.
