Former Palm Springs Mayor Lisa Middleton, after making history as the first transgender mayor in California, has announced her candidacy for the state Senate, which would be another transgender first.
Middleton, a Democrat and Palm Springs City Council member, established herself as a contender in the 2024 Senate elections Tuesday in a Twitter post in which she pledged to be "an effective voice" for the Senate 19th District.
"I’m thrilled to announce my campaign for State senate," she tweeted. "I’m running to make a difference in Sacramento and be an effective voice for [19th District] families by fighting for pragmatic, common-sense solutions that will improve the lives of all Californians."
A particular concern she raised in the Twitter post is the state's budget.
"It is time that San Bernardino and Riverside Counties receive our fair share of California's budget," the former mayor wrote. "Our region is one of the fastest growing in the country. To win the 21st Century, we need a local and regional infrastructure built for the 21st Century."
Middleton has devoted most of her adult life to state government. According to Middleton's campaign website, she first gained a seat on the Palm Springs City Council in 2017, standing out as the first transgender person serving in a non-judicial political office in California.
In 2022, Middleton's election as mayor was another transgender first for the state. She continues as a member of the city council to this day.
Middleton also has remained active in government as a Palm Springs representative on the Riverside County Transportation Commission and the Sunline Board of Directors, her website said.
She also serves on the California Public Employees' Retirement System (CalPERS) Board of Administration, a government agency managing retirement and health benefits for approximately 1.5 million California state and local school employees, retirees and their families.
According to The Desert Sun, Middleton's aspirations for a Senate seat go back at least to last year's election, but she held off on running then due to the state's redistricting.
As a result of the new maps established in late 2021, Coachella Valley is no longer a single district. Instead, Coachella and Indio have joined the new Senate 18th District, which also extends through eastern Riverside County, Imperial County, a slice of eastern San Bernardino County and San Diego County's southern border.
If successful in her election bid, Middleton will be representing a district that currently covers other Coachella Valley towns, such as Palm Springs, Cathedral City, Desert Hot Springs, Palm Desert, La Quinta, Rancho Mirage and Indian Wells.