Mia Mason is running for Maryland’s delegation in the U.S. House of Representatives. in a bid that could make her the first transgender person ever elected to Congress. 

She is running against incumbent Republican Andy Harris in Maryland’s 1st Congressional District — which includes the Eastern Shore and portions of northern Baltimore, Carroll and Harford Counties — that leaned heavily to the right in 2016, with 60 percent of voters casting ballots for President Trump. Despite this, Mason said she is hopeful she will pull out a victory on Nov. 3rd.

Born in Virginia, Mason served her country, in the U.S. Navy in 1998 and went on to have a military career involving one tour in Afghanistan and two in Iraq. In 2014 she said she was going through a routine medical screening when her superiors discovered she is trans by looking at her Veterans Affairs paperwork. She was discharged by November, she said, but soon after President Obama announced that trans people could serve in the military. 

Then in 2017, Trump tweeted that he would not allow trans people to serve in the military and Mason said she knew she needed to turn to advocacy and politics. 

“When I was fighting to get back into the military I went through some really tough times. I lost a lot,” she said in a recent interview. “And with Trump’s tweet, that was going to be happening to thousands of people. His simple tweet could basically take out at least 10,000 service members including their family members who rely on their medical benefits.”

Her opponent is the only Republican member of Maryland’s Congressional delegation. The Human Rights Campaign labeled him as one of the most “anti-equality” House members, saying he has “gone out of his way” to support anti-LGBTQ legislation. In 2020, the HRC gave him a 0 out of 100 ratings on their congressional scorecard. He has also voted in line with Trump’s position in 92 percent of House votes through his career, making him one of the president’s most loyal members in Congress.

Mason said her biggest priorities coming into the federal government would be to push through the Equal Rights Amendment, which has hung in limbo for decades and establish “Medicare for All.” But before those, Mason said she would work to provide financial relief for the people in her district who are struggling with the impacts of the coronavirus pandemic. 

Despite her district being predominantly conservative, Mason said they’re pushing a message of hope and compassion to the constituents. 

“A historic number of openly LGBTQ people are running for office this year and we have the opportunity to elect an unprecedented number on Election Day,” said Mayor Annise Parker, President & CEO of LGBTQ Victory Fund. “We can double the LGBTQ members of Congress, elect out LGBTQ state legislators in key states for the first time, and elect the first out trans state senator in U.S. history. But this is not about breaking records or making history. When LGBTQ people are in the halls of power, it changes the hearts and minds of colleagues, transforms the legislative debates, and leads to more inclusive legislation. LGBTQ elected officials advance equality and that is why we must secure a Rainbow Wave of LGBTQ victories in November.”

Victory Fund, is a 29-year-old National Organization dedicated to electing LGBTQ candidates. Click here to support, get involved, or learn more about Victory Fund. This year, Victory Fund has endorsed 287 LGBTQ candidates running for office this Nov. 3rd.