Tennessee Elects First Openly Transgender Public Official

Voters in Tennessee have elected the state’s first-ever trans public official.

Olivia Hill was elected Tuesday to the final At Large seat on Nashville and Davidson County’s Metropolitan Council, a 40-seat legislative body that jointly governs both the city and county. 

Hill said in an interview with ABC’s local affiliate in Nashville that her election is a “huge boost” to the trans community, but that she’s focused on the voters who elected her “because of who I am and because of my skill, not because I am trans.” 

“I have tried very hard to run this race on my ability to sit at the table and my ability to get work done,” Hill said. “The fact that I am trans is just a part of who I really am and not why I ran.”

Hill served in the U.S. Navy from 1986 to 1995, then worked at Vanderbilt University’s power plant for 26 years as an engineer, according to the Tennessean. She later sued the university for continuous workplace discrimination around the time she transitioned.

The two parties settled in late 2021. 

Following Tuesday’s municipal elections, women will hold a 22-seat majority on the Metro Council.