Taylor Small (born March 26, 1994) is an American politician. Small is a member of the Vermont House of Representatives and is the first openly transgender legislator elected in Vermont and the 5th elected in the United States.[1]

Taylor Small
Small in 2020
Member of the Vermont House of Representatives
from the Chittenden-21 district
Assumed office
January 2023
Serving with Daisy Berbeco
Preceded byRedistricted
Member of the Vermont House of Representatives
from the Chittenden 6-7 district
In office
January 6, 2021 – January 4, 2023
Serving with Hal Colston
Personal details
Born (1994-03-26) March 26, 1994 (age 30)
Portland, Maine, U.S.
Political party
Alma materUniversity of Vermont (BS)
WebsiteCampaign website

Early life

Small was born in Portland, Maine to Canadian parents.[2] Small lived in Johnson, Vermont, and then Western Massachusetts as a child.[3] After Small’s parents divorced, Small returned to Vermont and attended Colchester High School and Burlington Technical Center. Small then went on to graduate from the University of Vermont in 2016 with a Bachelor of Science in Human Development and Family Studies with a minor in Sexuality and Gender Identity Studies.[4][5]

Career

Small was elected to the Vermont House of Representatives in the 2020 general election after the incumbent Diana Gonzalez retired and is the state's first openly transgender legislator,[6] and the fifth in the nation.[1][7] Small ran on both the Democratic ticket and Vermont Progressive Party ticket and won with 41% of the vote.[3][8]

Small is the education manager (and former director of the Health and Wellness program) at Pride Center of Vermont and has worked with the Vermont Department of Health. Prior to that, Small worked in mental health at Howard Center and Northwestern Counseling and Support Services and supported homeless and runaway youth with Spectrum Youth and Family Services. Through a drag persona, Nikki Champagne, along with colleague Emoji Nightmare, Small has promoted local libraries and youth literacy and hosted fundraisers to help support Vermont’s non-profit organizations.[9][10][4]

Small was named a 2022 Politician of Year by One Young World, receiving the award in Manchester, England in September 2022 alongside four other young politicians from around the world.[11]

Personal life

Small lives in Winooski with her partner, Carsen, and their dogs, Theobroma and Charlie.[4]

Electoral history

2020

Vermont House of Representatives Chittenden 6-7 district Democratic primary, 2020[12]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Taylor Small 1,003 44.9
Democratic Hal Colston (incumbent) 912 40.8
Democratic Jordan Matte 316 14.1
Democratic Write-ins 4 0.2
Total votes 2,235 100.0
Vermont House of Representatives Chittenden 6-7 district general election, 2020
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Hal Colston (incumbent) 2,551 43.5
Progressive/Democratic Taylor Small 2,423 41.3
Independent James Ehlers 867 14.8
Write-in Write-ins 28 0.5
Total votes 5,869 100.0

2022

Vermont House of Representatives Chittenden-21 district Democratic primary, 2022[13]
Party Candidate Votes %
Progressive Taylor Small (incumbent) 1,011 53.0
Democratic Daisy Berbeco 883 46.3
Democratic Write-ins 13 0.7
Total votes 1,907 100.0
Vermont House of Representatives Chittenden-21 district general election, 2022[14]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Daisy Berbeco 1,813 43.6
Progressive/Democratic Taylor Small (incumbent) 1,735 41.7
Independent Jordan Matte 575 13.8
Write-in Write-ins 38 0.9
Total votes 4,161 100.0

See also

References

  1. ^ a b Sprayregan, Molly (November 3, 2020). "Taylor Small will be Vermont's first out transgender legislator". Retrieved November 3, 2020.
  2. ^ "Representative Taylor Small". The LGBTQ+ Bar. Retrieved December 13, 2021.
  3. ^ a b Hallenbeck, Brent (November 4, 2020). "Taylor Small wins House seat to become first openly transgender member of Vermont Legislature". Burlington Free Press. Retrieved November 4, 2020.
  4. ^ a b c "About". Taylor Small for State Rep. Retrieved November 3, 2020.
  5. ^ Elletson, Grace (August 9, 2020). "Winooski candidate Taylor Small looks to become state's first openly trans lawmaker". VT Digger. Retrieved November 3, 2020.
  6. ^ "Taylor Small speaks about her accomplishments during her first legislative session". June 8, 2021 – via YouTube.com.
  7. ^ Riedel, Samantha (September 4, 2020). "Vermont's First Trans State Representative Is Fighting For Her Community". Them. Retrieved November 3, 2020.
  8. ^ "Vermont gets state's 1st openly transgender legislator". Associated Press. November 4, 2020. Retrieved November 4, 2020.
  9. ^ "Meet Our Team". Pride Center of VT. Retrieved December 15, 2020.
  10. ^ Wakefield, Lily (November 4, 2020). "Taylor Small, tireless LGBT+ champion and sickening drag queen, makes history as her state's first trans lawmaker". PinkNews. Retrieved December 15, 2020.
  11. ^ Thurston, Jack (September 12, 2022). "Vt. Lawmaker Honored at Event Attended by Prince Harry & Meghan Markle". NECN. Retrieved November 9, 2022.
  12. ^ "Elections Results Archive". Vermont Secretary of State.
  13. ^ "2022 August Primary Election Detailed Results". Vermont Secretary of State.
  14. ^ "2022 General Election Results". Vermont Secretary of State.