Army combat veteran advances in bid to become Maryland’s first transgender legislator

Alleria Stanley, a retired U.S. Army combat veteran and transgender rights advocate, has advanced to the general election for the Maryland House of Delegates, moving one step closer to what LGBTQ+ advocates say would be a first for the state.

Stanley, a Democrat running in Maryland’s Legislative District 4, finished third in a four-way primary for one of the district’s three House seats, according to unofficial results from the Maryland State Board of Elections. In Maryland’s multi-member delegate districts, the top three candidates from each major party advance to the general election.

Andrew Duck led the Democratic field with 6,732 votes, or 28.43 percent, followed by Jerry Donald with 6,477 votes, or 27.35 percent, according to the Maryland State Board of Elections. Stanley received 5,543 votes, or 23.41 percent, defeating Paul Gilligan, who finished fourth with 4,930 votes, or 20.82 percent.

Related: Transgender Army vet running for state delegate in red Maryland district is all about showing up

The LGBTQ+ Victory Fund, which endorsed Stanley, says she would become the first out transgender person elected to the Maryland state legislature if she wins in November.

“This primary victory is not about me; it is about the community we are building together,” Stanley said in a statement. “Voters are asking for leadership that listens, acts, and holds systems accountable. Whether it is keeping our communities affordable or ensuring that corporations play by the rules when it comes to our environment, I am ready to carry those priorities to Annapolis.”

Stanley will face three Republicans in November: incumbent Del. Jesse T. Pippy, who led the GOP primary with 8,133 votes; incumbent Del. April Fleming Miller, who received 7,317 votes; and Jason E. Keckler, who received 7,231 votes.

District 4, which covers much of Frederick County, has long been difficult terrain for Democrats. Republicans currently hold all three House seats, and when Stanley launched her campaign, the district had a roughly 9,000-voter Republican registration advantage.

But Frederick County is changing. Rapid growth, rising housing costs, suburban expansion from the Washington, D.C., region, and fierce fights over land use have made local politics more fluid. Stanley has leaned into that complexity, describing her campaign as “purple, not blue.”

“It’s a red and blue district,” she previously told The Advocate. “I’m for everyone, whether red or blue.”

Stanley has also resisted being described only as a historic candidate. A retired 20-year Army veteran, mother of five, health care administrator, and advocate for transgender veterans, she has built her campaign around service, affordability, education, conservation, civil rights, and stricter regulation of data centers.

“I enjoy serving,” Stanley told The Advocate in December.

Her focus on data centers lands squarely in one of Frederick County’s most urgent political fights. Residents have battled over a large data center development zone near Adamstown, raising concerns about farmland, water, energy use, noise, and quality of life. The Maryland Supreme Court recently upheld a lower court's ruling blocking a proposed referendum on a data center from appearing on the November ballot, Baltimore public radio WYPR reported.

Stanley’s campaign says she supports requiring data centers to be powered by 100 percent clean energy and imposing strict environmental and infrastructure standards.

Her campaign biography also includes service on the Frederick County Human Relations Commission, the Frederick County Equity and Inclusion Commission, and the Maryland State Board of Dental Examiners. She has served as vice president of the Transgender American Veterans Association and worked with national groups supporting veterans and military families.

For Stanley, the campaign is unfolding as transgender people remain under sustained political attack across the country, including in schools, healthcare, sports, identity documents, and the military. But she has said the way forward begins with showing up.

“Decisions are made by those who show up,” she told The Advocate.

The general election is on November 3.