Peninsula Elects Bay Area’s 1st Nonbinary Councilmember: Report

REDWOOD CITY, CA — Newly elected Redwood City City Councilmember Lissette Espinoza-Garnica made history last week.

The 24-year-old who upset incumbent Janet Borgens in the District 3 race became the Bay Area’s first nonbinary person to be elected to council seat, The Bay Area Reporter reports.

As of Friday Espinoza-Garnica had garnered 41.33 percent of the vote to lead Borgens by 180 votes (1,263-1,083).

"I think it is wild to think of. I didn't know I would be accomplishing that when I started. It is a trip," Espinoza-Garnica told The Bay Area Reporter a phone interview last week.

Espinoza-Garnica was among two nonbinary candidates running in Bay Area council races this year.

Sameera Rajwade, who lost their bid for San Ramon’s District 3 council seat, was the other.

In their Oklahoma State Legislature victory last week, Mauree Turner became the nation’s first nonbinary state legislator and the state’s first Muslim lawmaker, The Washington Post reports.

Espinoza-Garnica identifies as a first-generation queer, nonbinary Chicanx and lifelong Redwood City resident according to the report.

The staunch progressive was endorsed by the Democratic Socialists of America, The Mercury News reports. Espinoza-Garnica is described in the report as a “prison and police abolitionist.”