This story originally appeared on The Advocate.
Quinnie Pérez made history Tuesday night, becoming the first out transgender woman elected to public office in Florida after winning Seat 1 on the Orange County Soil and Water Conservation District board.
Pérez will join the district’s nonpartisan, volunteer board in January. The board helps promote conservation and the responsible management of local soil and water resources.
The daughter of Mexican immigrants, Pérez grew up in North Florida surrounded by agriculture and family traditions, according to the LGBTQ+ Victory Fund, which identified her candidacy as an opportunity to elect Florida’s first out trans person. Her work in agriculture helped shape a campaign focused on giving farmworkers a stronger voice.
Pérez works alongside agricultural laborers in Central Florida’s medical cannabis industry, where she says she has witnessed immigrant workers struggle with low wages and housing insecurity. She wants to strengthen protections for farmworkers and advocate for better pay.
Related: Allison Montgomery wins race to become Alabama’s first transgender state lawmaker
Her environmental priorities include preserving Florida’s wetlands and other sensitive ecosystems. In her candidate statement, Pérez called for addressing environmental damage from urban sprawl and supporting affordable, environmentally conscious housing. She also advocates for development practices that protect water quality.
“We must use all tools available to ensure that we not only have clean water for consumption and food production, but also for our environment and the wildlife that inhabit it,” she says on her campaign website.
The local victory carries statewide significance after years of anti-LGBTQ+ legislation signed by Gov. Ron DeSantis. Those measures include restrictions on classroom instruction about sexual orientation and gender identity, widely known as “don’t say gay,” as well as restrictions on gender-affirming care for minors and transgender people’s access to bathrooms.
“Congratulations to Quinnie Perez on her win in Soil & Water Seat 1,” the Orange County Democrats wrote on Facebook. “This is a truly historic win as Quinnie is now the first trans woman to be elected in the state of Florida! Congratulations!”
