Misty Snow is the first transgender woman to run for Senate and our new hero

Misty Snow is not your traditional political candidate. She has no political experience. She didn’t go to an Ivy League law school or come from a well-connected family; in fact, she never went to college. She works at a grocery store in Salt Lake City. She lives in a red state but is outspoken about protecting abortion rights, raising the minimum wage, and legalizing marijuana. She also just won the Democratic primary, making her the first transgender woman to run for the US Senate on a major party ticket.

Can we just pause right here real quick to say, “You go girl”?

Misty jumped into the primary just before the filing deadline, challenging 35-year-old marriage therapist Jonathan Swinton, a much more conservative democrat who favored limiting abortion rights. “There are some that claim that Utah is not ready for a candidate like me, but I strongly disagree,” Misty Snow wrote on her campaign website. “Utah is not only ready but in desperate need of a Senator exactly like me. We cannot wait for others to give us equality. We have to claim equality for ourselves.”

She’ll be challenging Republican Senator Mike Lee in November, and while her odds of winning the seat don’t look great right now, the groundswell of support for her is proof of progressive momentum and changing attitudes, even in traditionally red states. And no matter the results of her first big race, it seems clear that Misty Snow has a promising political career ahead of her.

“A lot of people have told me whether I win or lose, I’m already making a difference just by running,” Snow told The Salt Lake Tribune. Keep going, Misty. We’re cheering for you.