This story originally appeared on Them.
This story originally appeared on The Advocate.Georgia voters have elected Bentley Hudgins to the state House, making the longtime organizer the first out transgender and nonbinary person elected to the Georgia General Assembly.
The Democrat defeated Republican Samantha Boston in House District 90, according to Decision Desk HQ, which called the race at 8:19 p.m. Eastern time on Tuesday night.
With 84 percent of votes counted, Hudgins led Boston 94 percent to 6 percent.
Hudgins, a 2026 Out100 honoree who uses they/them pronouns, will also be the legislature’s first Japanese American member, according to LGBTQ+ Victory Fund.
Related: Nonbinary Georgia Democrat Bentley Hudgins set to make history: ‘Hope is a discipline’
Their campaign emphasized the everyday conditions that shape whether residents can build stable lives: reliable water, affordable housing, transit, wages, and investment in neglected neighborhoods.
In a May interview with The Advocate, Hudgins described experiencing housing insecurity and years of hearing loss before receiving treatment. Those experiences informed their argument that public officials should listen to people whose needs institutions had dismissed.
“I wanted to really resonate with the shared experiences that I have with my neighbors,” they said then.
Hudgins previously served as the Human Rights Campaign’s Georgia state director. Their organizing work also included helping residents document gun violence and press officials for neighborhood improvements.
The LGBTQ+ Victory Fund also highlighted Hudgins’ work on voting access, vaccine access, and community investment in endorsing their campaign.
