Althea Garrison

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Althea Garrison
AltheaGarrison (1).png
Member of the Boston City Council
At-Large
In office
January 9, 2019 – January 6, 2020
Preceded byAyanna Pressley
Succeeded byJulia Mejia
Member of the
Massachusetts House of Representatives
from the 5th Suffolk District
In office
1993–1995
Preceded byNelson Merced
Succeeded byCharlotte Golar Richie
Personal details
Born (1940-10-07) October 7, 1940 (age 81)
Hahira, Georgia
NationalityAmerican
Political partyIndependent (1988, 2000, 2008, 2012–present)
Democratic (1982–1986, 1998–1999, 2010–2012)
Republican (1990–1996, 2002–2006)
ResidenceDorchester, Boston, Massachusetts
Alma materSuffolk University
Lesley College
Harvard University
Newbury Junior College
OccupationHuman Resources
Politician

Althea Garrison (born October 7, 1940)[1] is an independent American politician from Boston, Massachusetts, who has served on the Boston City Council as an at-large councilor.

Garrison was elected as a Republican to the Massachusetts House of Representatives in 1992 and served one term from 1993 to 1995. Both before and after Garrison's successful bid for office, she has run unsuccessfully in multiple elections for the state legislature and Boston City Council, as a Republican, Democrat, or independent, which has resulted in her being described in the media as a "perennial candidate".[2][3] Garrison is also known as the first transgender person to be elected to a state legislature in the United States.[4][5] She was outed against her will by the Boston Herald after her election in 1992.[6]

Garrison later served as an at-large member of the Boston City Council from January 2019 to January 2020 due to a vacancy left by Ayanna Pressley's election to the United States House of Representatives. Because Garrison was the next-place finisher in the 2017 Boston City Council election, she was eligible to take office per City Council rules.[7] She was not re-elected in November 2019.[8]

Background[]

Born in Hahira, Georgia,[1][9] as the youngest of seven children,[10][9][11] Garrison attended Hahira High School there.[1] Garrison moved to Boston to attend beauty school,[9] but went on to enroll in Newbury Junior College and received an associate degree there.[1][9] Garrison later received a B.S. degree in administration from Suffolk University, an M.S. degree in management from Lesley College, and a certificate in special studies in administration and management from Harvard University.[1][12]

According to records in the Suffolk County Probate Court, Garrison petitioned for a name change to Althea Garrison in 1976.[13] The petition stated that the name Althea Garrison "is consistent with petitioner's appearance and medical condition and is the name by which he [sic] will be known in the future."[13][14]

Besides her one term in the Massachusetts House, Garrison has worked as a clerk in human resources for the Massachusetts state comptroller's office, where she used her vacation time to run for office.[11] She served for four years on the Metropolitan Area Planning Council.[15]

Political career[]

Early years[]

In 1982 and 1986, Garrison ran unsuccessfully for the Massachusetts House of Representatives as a Democrat.[16] She ran unsuccessfully for Boston City Council in 1983, 1985, 1987, 1989, and 1991. During the 1991 campaign, the Boston Herald noted that she had run for office nine times,[17] although Garrison herself later described the race as her 10th or 11th bid for office.[18] In the 1991 race, Garrison finished in third place in the District 7 preliminary election.[19]

Massachusetts House[]

In 1992, Garrison ran successfully for the 5th Suffolk district in the Massachusetts House, representing the Dorchester and Roxbury areas of Boston. Garrison's 1992 election to the legislature was made possible in part by the fact that she challenged some of the signatures that the then-incumbent representative, Nelson Merced, had submitted to qualify for the Democratic primary ballot. Her challenge was successful and meant that Garrison did not have to run against an incumbent in the general election.[10] In the general election, Garrison defeated Democratic candidate Irene Roman, 2,451 votes to 2,014.[20]

The fact that Garrison had been formerly known as a male was not widely publicized until shortly after she was elected to the legislature.[10][13] When the Boston Herald asked whether she was a man, Garrison denied it and ended the conversation when asked about her past, including her name change.[13][6]

In the Massachusetts House, Garrison consistently voted in favor of labor unions, resulting in her being endorsed for re-election by the Massachusetts AFL-CIO[21] and eight unions.[16] On many votes, she voted with the Democrats in the legislature rather than with the Republicans.[16] However, she opposed same-sex marriage and abortion.[6]

Garrison was defeated in her 1994 bid for re-election by Democratic candidate Charlotte Golar Richie by a margin of 2,108 votes to 1,718.[22]

Unsuccessful bids for office[]

Garrison ran for office at least 32 times,[11] all but one unsuccessfully, including:

Boston City Council[]

Garrison took the at-large seat of former councillor Ayanna Pressley on the Boston City Council, as Pressley left the City Council following her November 2018 election to Congress from Massachusetts's 7th congressional district.[34] City rules require that vacancies for the at-large council seats are filled by the next-placed candidate in the previous election, which was Garrison in November 2017.[35] Garrison was sworn in on January 9, 2019.[36] Garrison was a candidate for re-election in the November 2019 election, but finished seventh in the general election field of eight candidates.[37]

Garrison was noted as a strong supporter of then-president Donald Trump, and an ardent backer of the Boston Police Department. She was also noted as the only strong conservative on the Boston City Council.[38] Garrison described herself as an "independent conservative".[39]

As a city councilor, Garrison supported reviving rent control in the city.[40]

Electoral history[]

Massachusetts House[]

1982 Massachusetts House of Representatives 5th Suffolk district Democratic primary[41]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Richard J. Rouse 2,084 41.55
Democratic Daniel M. Hart 2,041 40.69
Democratic Althea Garrison 492 9.81
Democratic Richard M. Rolak 294 5.86
Democratic Thomas R. Roffey 35 0.70
Write-in Other 70 1.40
Total votes 5,016 100
1986 Massachusetts House of Representatives 5th Suffolk district Democratic primary[42]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Richard J. Rouse (incumbent) 2,396 64.22
Democratic Michael G. sylva 853 22.86
Democratic Althea Garrison 482 12.92
Total votes 3,731 100
1988 Massachusetts House of Representatives 5th Suffolk district election[43]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Nelson Merced 3,268 63.61
Independent Althea Garrison 1,836 35.73
Write-in Other 34 0.66
Total votes 5,138 100
1990 Massachusetts House of Representatives 5th Suffolk district Republican primary[44]
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Althea Garrison 28 100
Total votes 28 100
1990 Massachusetts House of Representatives 5th Suffolk district election[45]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Nelson Merced (incumbent) 2,215 55.28
Republican Althea Garrison 1,249 31.17
Independent Philip K. Robertson Jr. 543 13.55
Total votes 4,007 100
1992 Massachusetts House of Representatives 5th Suffolk district Republican primary[46]
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Althea Garrison 105 69.54
Republican Gunnar Hexum 46 30.46
Total votes 151 100
1992 Massachusetts House of Representatives 5th Suffolk district election[47]
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Althea Garrison 2,479 54.91
Democratic Irene L. Roman 2,031 44.98
Write-in Other 5 0.11
Total votes 4,515 100
1994 Massachusetts House of Representatives 5th Suffolk district Republican primary[48]
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Althea Garrison 135 100
Total votes 135 100
1994 Massachusetts House of Representatives 5th Suffolk election[49]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Charlotte Golar Richie 2,101 54.94
Republican Althea Garrison (incumbent) 1,723 45.06
Total votes 3,824 100
1996 Massachusetts House of Representatives 5th Suffolk district Republican primary[50]
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Althea Garrison 68 100
Total votes 68 100
1996 Massachusetts House of Representatives 5th Suffolk election[51]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Charlotte Golar Richie (incumbent) 3,684 68.69
Republican Althea Garrison 1,666 31.07
Write-in Others 13 0.24
Total votes 5,363 100
1998 Massachusetts State House of Representatives 5th Suffolk district Democratic primary[52]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Charlotte Golar Richie (incumbent) 1,218 58.47
Democratic Althea Garrison 865 41.53
Total votes 2,083 100
1999 Massachusetts State House of Representatives 5th Suffolk district special election Democratic primary[53]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Marie St. Fleur 1,009 57.99
Democratic Barry Lawton 361 20.75
Democratic Althea Garrison 303 17.41
Democratic Bernard Wheeler 67 3.85
Total votes 1,740 100
2000 Massachusetts State House of Representatives 5th Suffolk district election[54]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Marie St. Fleur (incumbent) 4,466 73.51
Independent Althea Garrison 1,609 26.49
Total votes 6,075 100
2006 Massachusetts House of Representatives 5th Suffolk district Republican primary[55]
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Althea Garrison 65 91.55
Write-in Others 6 8.45
Total votes 68 100
2006 Massachusetts House of Representatives 5th Suffolk election[56]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Marie St. Fleur (incumbent) 5,110 83.35
Republican Althea Garrison 999 16.29
Write-in Others 22 0.36
Total votes 6,131 100
2010 Massachusetts House of Representatives 5th Suffolk district Democratic primary[57]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Carlos Henriquez 719 35.42
Democratic Barry Lawton 678 33.40
Democratic Althea Garrison 400 19.70
Democratic Roy A. Owens 226 11.13
Write-in Others 7 0.35
Total votes 2,030 100
2012 Massachusetts House of Representatives 5th Suffolk district Democratic primary[58]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Carlos Henriquez (incumbent) 1,346 90.76
Democratic Althea Garrison 63 4.25
Write-in Others 74 4.99
Total votes 1,483 100
2012 Massachusetts House of Representatives 5th Suffolk election[59]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Carlos Henriquez (incumbent) 9,179 77.55
Independent Althea Garrison 2,564 21.66
Write-in Others 93 7.86
Total votes 11,836 100
2014 Massachusetts House of Representatives 5th Suffolk district special election Democratic primary[60]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Evandro Carvalho 961 49.08
Democratic Karen A. Charles-Peterson 521 26.61
Democratic Barry Lawton 190 9.70
Democratic Jennifer Anne Johnson 151 7.71
Democratic Roy A. Owens 89 4.55
Democratic Althea Garrison 39 1.99
Write-in Others 7 0.36
Total votes 1,958 100
2014 Massachusetts House of Representatives 5th Suffolk district special election[61]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Evandro Carvalho 739 91.24
Write-in Althea Garrison 51 6.30
Write-in Others 20 2.47
Total votes 810 100
2014 Massachusetts House of Representatives 5th Suffolk district Democratic primary[62]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Evandro Carvalho (incumbent) 1,637 65.30
Democratic Althea Garrison 859 34.26
Write-in Others 11 0.44
Total votes 2,507 100
2016 Massachusetts House of Representatives 5th Suffolk district Republican primary[63]
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Althea Garrison 54 96.43
Write-in Others 2 3.57
Total votes 56 100
2016 Massachusetts House of Representatives 5th Suffolk election[64]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Evandro Carvalho (incumbent) 10,855 83.89
Republican Althea Garrison 2,014 15.57
Write-in Others 70 0.54
Total votes 12,939 100
2016 Massachusetts House of Representatives 5th Suffolk election[65]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Liz Miranda 8,527 88.70
Independent Althea Garrison 1,053 10.95
Write-in Others 33 0.34
Total votes 9,613 100

Massachusetts Senate[]

2002 Massachusetts Senate 1st Suffolk district special election Republican primary[66]
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Althea Garrison 128 98.46
Write-in Other 2 0.15
Total votes 130 100
2002 Massachusetts Senate 1st Suffolk district special election[67]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Jack Hart 4,632 95.47
Republican Althea Garrison 217 4.47
Write-in Other 3 0.06
Total votes 4,852 100
2002 Massachusetts Senate 1st Suffolk district Republican primary[68]
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Walter R. Campbell 820 68.91
Republican Althea Garrison 369 31.01
Write-in Other 1 0.08
Total votes 1,190 100
2008 Massachusetts Senate 1st Suffolk district Republican primary[69]
Party Candidate Votes %
Write-in Althea Garrison 1 0.89
Write-in Other 111 99.11
Total votes 112 100
2008 Massachusetts Senate 1st Suffolk district election[70]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Jack Hart (incumbent) 9,355 98.21
Republican Althea Garrison 23 0.24
Write-in Other 148 1.55
Total votes 9,526 100

Boston mayor[]

2001 Boston mayoral election
Candidates Preliminary Election[71] General Election[71]
Votes % Votes %
Thomas Menino (incumbent) 31,715 73.37 68,011 76.06
Peggy Davis-Mullen 9,958 23.04 21,393 23.93
Althea Garrison 1,552 3.59

Boston City Council[]

1985 Boston City Council at-large election
Candidates[72] Preliminary Election[73] General Election[74]
Votes % Votes %
Dapper O'Neil (incumbent) 22,792 19.1% 36,686 18.8%
Joseph M. Tierney (incumbent) 17,014 14.3% 34,427 17.6%
Christopher A. Iannella (incumbent) 19,183 16.1% 33,883 17.3%
Michael J. McCormack (incumbent) 17,329 14.5% 27,976 14.3%
Frederick C. Langone 16,900 14.2% 26,365 13.5%
Michael W. Kane 10,018 8.4% 17,175 8.8%
Willie Mae Allen 6268 5.3% 12,533 6.4%
Althea Garrison 3565 3.0% 6402 3.3%
Kenneth C. Davis 2130 1.8%  
John P. Scialdone 1588 1.3%  
Richard A. Black 972 0.8%  
Little L. Pittman 808 0.7%  
Edward P. Malik 723 0.6%  
1987 Boston City Council at-large election
Candidates[75] Preliminary Election[76][77] General Election[78]
Votes % Votes %
Dapper O'Neil (incumbent) 29,052 16.3% 47,817 17.0%
Christopher A. Iannella (incumbent) 23,906 13.4% 45,472 16.1%
Rosaria Salerno 19,346 10.8% 39,089 13.9%
Michael J. McCormack (incumbent) 16,793 9.4% 36,326 12.9%
Joseph W. Casper 15,694 8.8% 32,548 11.5%
Frederick C. Langone 19,521 10.9% 30,447 10.8%
Michael W. Kane 13,678 7.7% 27,573 9.8%
Stephen J. Murphy 13,309 7.4% 22,744 8.1%
Kevin A. McCluskey 11,431 6.4%  
Althea Garrison 6669 3.7%  
Edward T. Kelley 5123 2.9%  
David J. McKay 4198 2.3%  
1989 Boston City Council at-large election
Candidates[79] Preliminary Election[80] General Election[81]
Votes % Votes %
Dapper O'Neil (incumbent) 21,764 17.2% 40,106 17.6%
Christopher A. Iannella (incumbent) 20,142 15.9% 38,357 16.9%
Rosaria Salerno (incumbent) 19,478 15.4% 35,654 15.7%
Michael J. McCormack (incumbent) 19,073 15.1% 31,170 13.7%
John A. Nucci 14,646 11.6% 30,466 13.4%
John N. Flanagan 13,676 10.8% 22,359 9.8%
Joseph W. Casper 10,103 8.0% 18,069 7.9%
Althea Garrison 5042 4.0% 11,281 5.0%
Glenn Fiscus 2365 1.9%  
1991 Boston City Council district 7 election
Candidates[82] Preliminary Election[83] General Election[84]
Votes % Votes %
836 18.7% 3129 57.5%
Roy A. Owens 974 21.8% 2314 42.5%
Althea Garrison 703 15.7%  
Ben Haith 691 15.4%  
James A. West 666 14.9%  
Hattie Dudley 395 8.8%  
Natalie E. Carithers 211 4.7%  
1995 Boston City Council district 7 election
Candidates[85] Preliminary Election[86] General Election[87]
Votes % Votes %
(incumbent) 1262 55.4% 2361 62.1%
Althea Garrison 553 24.3% 1441 37.9%
Roy A. Owens 254 11.2%  
Moses E. Wilson Jr. 209 9.2%  
1997 Boston City Council district 7 election
Candidates[88] Preliminary Election[89] General Election[90]
Votes % Votes %
(incumbent) 851 40.5% 2278 61.4%
Althea Garrison 360 17.1% 1430 38.6%
Roy A. Owens 349 16.6%  
Anthony Crayton 341 16.2%  
Robert L. Terrell 200 9.5%  
1999 Boston City Council district 7 election
Candidates[91] Preliminary Election[92] General Election[93]
Votes % Votes %
Chuck Turner 1153 33.9% 2419 58.4%
Tracy Litthcut 590 17.3% 1726 41.6%
Julio Henriquez 339 10.0%  
Roy A. Owens 314 9.2%  
Althea Garrison 282 8.3%  
Anthony Crayton 255 7.5%  
Hassan Ali Williams 122 3.6%  
Richard Masterson 115 3.4%  
Scotland Willis 70 2.1%  
Kenneth Yarbrough 65 1.9%  
Roger Garvin 51 1.5%  
Thelma Barros 47 1.4%  
2003 Boston City Council at-large election
Candidates[94] Preliminary Election[95][96] General Election[97][98]
Votes % Votes %
Michael F. Flaherty (incumbent) 20,307 18.21 36,387 18.33
Felix D. Arroyo (incumbent) 14,379 12.89 34,685 17.48
Maura Hennigan (incumbent) 15,916 14.27 33,596 16.93
Stephen J. Murphy (incumbent) 17,597 15.78 30,510 15.37
Patricia H. White 16,439 14.74 29,649 14.94
Matt O'Malley 7,025 6.30 12,929 6.51
Althea Garrison 5,050 4.53 10,524 5.30
Roy Owens 4,356 3.91 10,204 5.14
Jacquelyne Payne-Thompson 2,723 2.44  
Phyllis Yetman Igoe 1,940 1.74  
Edward Puglielli 1,705 1.53  
Laura Garza 1,604 1.44  
Arthur "Lucky" Craffey 1,594 1.43  
Joseph Anthony Ureneck 907 0.81  
2005 Boston City Council at-large election
Candidates Preliminary Election[99] General Election[100]
Votes % Votes %
Michael F. Flaherty (incumbent) 17,828 13.90 49,220 17.58
Felix D. Arroyo (incumbent) 15,690 12.23 43,533 15.55
Sam Yoon 13,165 10.27 41,891 14.96
Stephen J. Murphy (incumbent) 14,094 10.99 35,553 12.70
John R. Connolly 14,287 11.14 31,629 11.30
Matt O'Malley 12,070 9.41 28,318 10.12
Patricia H. White 12,895 10.05 26,999 9.64
Edward M. Flynn 11,092 8.65 21,778 7.78
Althea Garrison 4824 3.76  
Kevin R. Mccrea 3661 2.85  
Roy Owens 3622 2.82  
Laura Garza 1807 1.41  
Gregory Joseph O'Connell 1174 0.92  
Martin J. Hogan 1031 0.80  
Joseph Ready 675 0.53  
Joseph Ureneck 17dagger 0.01 133dagger 0.05
Gibran Rivera 17dagger 0.01  
all others 297 0.23 874 0.31

dagger write-in votes

2009 Boston City Council district 7 election
Candidates Preliminary Election[101] General Election[102]
Votes % Votes %
Chuck Turner (incumbent) 3,648 52.57 5,521 59.83
Carlos Henriquez 1,659 23.91 3,644 39.49
Althea Garrison 995 14.34
Roy Owens 610 8.79
2011 Boston City Council district 7 special election[103]
Candidate Votes %
Tito Jackson 2,829 81.98
Cornell Mills 557 16.14
Althea Garrison (write-in) 46 1.33
all others 19 0.55
Total votes 3,451 100
2011 Boston City Council district 7 election
Candidates Preliminary Election[104] General Election[105]
Votes % Votes %
Tito Jackson (incumbent) 1,876 76.07 4,818 84.35
Sheneal Parker 273 11.07 799 13.99
Althea Garrison 216 8.76 47dagger 0.82
Roy Owens 85 3.45
all others 16dagger 0.65 48dagger 0.84
Total 2,466 100 5,712 100

dagger write-in votes

2013 Boston City Council at-large election
Candidates Preliminary Election[106] General Election[107]
Votes % Votes %
Ayanna Pressley (incumbent) 42,915 16.71 60,799 18.30
Michelle Wu 29,384 11.44 59,741 17.98
Michael F. Flaherty 39,904 15.54 55,104 16.59
Stephen J. Murphy (incumbent) 31,728 12.35 44,993 13.54
Annissa Essaibi George 12,244 4.77 30,538 9.19
Jeffrey Michael Ross 13,939 5.43 28,879 8.69
Martin J. Keogh 15,743 6.13 26,500 7.98
Jack F. Kelly III 11,909 4.64 23,967 7.22
Catherine M. O'Neill 10,952 4.26  
Althea Garrison 10,268 4.00  
Ramon Soto 9928 3.87  
Philip Arthur Frattaroli 5832 2.27  
Gareth R. Saunders 5363 2.09  
Christopher J. Conroy 3433 1.34  
Seamus M. Whelan 3118 1.21  
Francisco L. White 2745 1.07  
Douglas D. Wohn 2382 0.93  
Frank John Addivinola Jr. 2240 0.87  
Keith B. Kenyon 1950 0.76  
Jamarhl Crawford 21dagger 0.01  
all others 832 0.32 1658 0.50

dagger write-in votes

2015 Boston City Council district 7 election
Candidates Preliminary Election[108] General Election[109]
Votes % Votes %
Tito Jackson (incumbent) 1409 66.40 2983 66.64
Charles L. Clemons Jr. 381 17.95 1444 32.26
Haywood Fennell Sr. 104 4.90  
Althea Garrison 98 4.62 16dagger 0.36
Roy Owens 74 3.49  
Kevin A. Dwire 34 1.60  
all others 22 1.04 33 0.74

dagger write-in votes

2017 Boston City Council at-large election[110]
Candidate Votes %
Michelle Wu (incumbent) 65,040 24.47
Ayanna Pressley (incumbent) 57,520 21.64
Michael F. Flaherty (incumbent) 51,673 19.44
Annissa Essaibi George (incumbent) 45,564 17.14
Althea Garrison 18,253 6.87
Domingos Darosa 11,647 4.38
William A. King 8,773 3.30
Pat Payaso 6,124 2.30
all others 1,230 0.46
2019 Boston at-large City Council election
Candidate Primary election[111] General election[112]
Votes % Votes %
Michelle Wu (incumbent) 26,622 19.41 41,664 20.73
Annissa Essaibi George (incumbent) 18,993 13.85 34,109 16.97
Michael F. Flaherty (incumbent) 18,766 13.68 33,284 16.56
Julia Mejia 10,799 7.87 22,492 11.19
Alejandra Nicole St. Guillen 11,910 8.68 22,491 11.19
Erin J. Murphy 9,385 6.84 16,867 8.39
Althea Garrison (incumbent) 9,720 7.09 16,189 8.05
David Halbert 6,354 4.76 13,214 6.57
Martin Marty Keogh 6,246 4.55  
Jeffrey Michael Ross 5,078 3.70  
Priscilla E. Flint-Banks 4,094 2.98  
Domingos DaRosa 2,840 2.07  
Michel Denis 2,108 1.54  
William A. King 1,809 1.32  
Herb Alexander Lozano 1,510 1.10  
all others 766 0.56 704 0.35
2021 Boston City Council at-large election
Candidate Primary election[113] General election
Votes % Votes %
Michael F. Flaherty (incumbent) 41,299 14.99 TBD TBD
Julia Mejia (incumbent) 38,765 14.07 TBD TBD
Ruthzee Louijeune 33,425 12.13 TBD TBD
Erin J. Murphy 22,835 8.29 TBD TBD
Carla B. Monteiro 18,844 6.84 TBD TBD
David Halbert 16,921 6.14 TBD TBD
Althea Garrison 16,810 6.10 TBD TBD
Bridget M. Nee-Walsh 15,118 5.49 TBD TBD
Kelly F. Bates 12,735 4.62  
Alexander J. Gray 11,263 4.09  
Jon M. Spillane 11,155 4.05  
Said A. Abdikarim 7,725 2.80  
Domingos Darosa 7,139 2.59  
Donnie Dionico Palmer Jr. 6,823 2.48  
Roy A. Owens Sr. 5,223 1.90  
James Rignald Colimon 4,671 1.70  
Nick Vance 3,943 1.43  
Write-ins 845 0.31 TBD TBD

Note: The primary result is uncertified

Suffolk County Register of Probate[]

2020 Suffolk County Register of Probate election[114]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Felix D. Arroyo (incumbent) 207,828 76.76
Independent Melissa Tyler 31,043 11.47
Independent Althea Garrison 30,303 11.19
Write-in Other 1,565 0.58
Total votes 270,739 100

Republican State Committee Woman[]

1996 Massachusetts Republican State Committe Woman 1st Suffolk district election[115]
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Suzananne Ianella 1,140 63.58
Republican George B. Gibbons 324 18.07
Republican Althea Garrison 323 18.02
Write-in Others 6 0.34
Total votes 1,793 100

See also[]

  • Stacie Laughton, first out transgender person to be elected to state legislature (but resigned before being sworn in)
  • Danica Roem, first out transgender person to be elected and serve in a state legislature

References[]

  1. ^ a b c d e O'Neill, Edward B.; MacQueen, Robert E. (1993). 1993-1994 Public Officers of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. Boston: General Court of Massachusetts. p. 132. Retrieved October 20, 2010.
  2. ^ Larocque, Marc (February 3, 2008). "On primary day, they'll elect to not vote". The Boston Globe. Retrieved October 20, 2010.
  3. ^ Gintautus, Dumcius (October 7, 2010). "Reporter's Notebook: An endorsement, and another Fifth Suffolk write-in campaign". Dorchester Reporter. Retrieved October 20, 2010.
  4. ^ Eaklor, Vicki L. (2008). Queer America: A GLBT History of the 20th Century. Westport, Conn.: Greenwood Press. p. 212. ISBN 978-0-313-33749-9. Retrieved October 20, 2010. The nineties also saw the first openly transgender person in a state office, Althea Garrison, elected in 1992 but serving only one term in Massachusetts' House.
  5. ^ Haider-Markel, Donald P. (2010). Out and Running: Gay and Lesbian Candidates, Elections, and Policy Representation. Washington, D.C.: Georgetown University Press. p. 86. ISBN 978-1-58901-699-6. Retrieved October 20, 2010.
  6. ^ a b c Osberg, Molly (November 8, 2017). "The Tragic Story of Althea Garrison, the First Trans Person to Hold State Office in America". Splinter. Retrieved January 19, 2018.
  7. ^ Valencia, Milton (September 6, 2018). "Finally, Althea Garrison will be a city councilor". The Boston Globe. Retrieved December 20, 2018.
  8. ^ "City of Boston - Unofficial Results - UPDATED November 5, 2019 - Municipal Election" (PDF). City of Boston. November 13, 2019. Retrieved November 29, 2019.
  9. ^ a b c d Schweitzer, Sarah (September 21, 2001). "Garrison Undeterred by Long Odds". The Boston Globe. p. B1. Retrieved October 20, 2010.
  10. ^ a b c Reilly, Adam (September 23, 2005). "The compulsive candidate: What makes Althea Garrison run?". The Boston Phoenix. Archived from the original on February 5, 2010. Retrieved October 20, 2010.
  11. ^ a b c Levenson, Michael (January 10, 2019). "Althea Garrison finally takes her seat on the Boston City Council - The Boston Globe". BostonGlobe.com. Boston Globe. Retrieved January 10, 2019.
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Further reading[]

Political offices
Preceded by Member of the Massachusetts House of Representatives
from the 5th Suffolk district
1993–1995 		Succeeded by
Preceded by Member At-Large of the Boston City Council
2019–2020 		Succeeded by
Retrieved from ""