33 Facts About Althea Garrison

Althea Garrison is considered the earliest transgender person known to have been elected to a state legislature in the United States.

Althea Garrison was outed against her will by the Boston Herald after her 1992 election.

Althea Garrison is a perennial candidate, having been an unsuccessful candidate for political office at least 44 times.

Althea Garrison served one term from 1993 to 1995, losing her bid for reelection in 1994.

Althea Garrison's campaigns have seen her run under different party affiliations, varyingly running as Republican, a Democrat, and an independent.

Althea Garrison 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.

Althea Garrison moved to Boston to attend beauty school, but went on to enroll in Newbury Junior College and received an associate degree.

Besides her one term in the Massachusetts House, Althea 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.

Althea Garrison served for four years on the Metropolitan Area Planning Council.

In 1982 and 1986, Althea Garrison ran unsuccessfully for the Massachusetts House of Representatives as a Democrat.

Althea Garrison ran unsuccessfully for Boston City Council in 1983,1985,1987,1989, and 1991.

In 1992, Althea Garrison ran successfully for the 5th Suffolk district in the Massachusetts House, representing the Dorchester and Roxbury areas of Boston.

Althea Garrison's challenge was successful and meant that Garrison did not have to run against an incumbent in the general election.

The fact that Althea Garrison had been formerly known as a male was not widely publicized until shortly after she was elected to the legislature.

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

Althea Garrison has run for office at least 45 times, only once winning election.

Althea 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.

Althea Garrison claimed that she had, despite ideological differences, supported Pressley's campaign for the House of Representatives with the knowledge that, if Pressley were elected, Althea Garrison would have the opportunity to be Pressley's City Council successor by virtue of her own finish in the previous city council election.

Althea Garrison differed ideologically from the rest of the city councilors.

Althea Garrison was noted to be the only strong conservative on the Boston City Council.

Althea Garrison was noted to be a strong supporter of then-president Donald Trump and an ardent backer of the Boston Police Department.

Around the time she joined the Boston City Council, Althea Garrison described herself as an "independent conservative".

Althea Garrison described her views as more closely aligned with the Republican Party than the Democratic Party.

Althea Garrison voiced support for eviction control and price controls related to development.

Althea Garrison was supportive of the controversial "Operation Clean Sweep" effort by the police in August 2019 which saw 34 arrests in a two-day period in the so-called "Methadone Mile".

Althea Garrison proposed a pro-police resolution in the aftermath of Super Happy Fun America's 2019 "Straight Pride Parade" and unrest that occurred related to it.

Althea Garrison opposed a proposal by Councilor Michelle Wu to generate revenue by imposing fees for residential parking permits.

In late-February 2019, Althea Garrison proposed a measure to hold a hearing on the possibility of withholding city payments to the MBTA over the state of its service.

Althea Garrison was a candidate for re-election in the November 2019 election, but finished seventh in the general election field of eight candidates.

In December 2019, the lame duck Althea Garrison was one of only three city councilors to vote against a home rule petition requesting that the state allow the city to impose a real estate transfer tax.

Althea Garrison is seen as adverse to granting the news media access to herself, with Quincy Walters of WBUR writing in a 2018 profile,.

Althea Garrison is suspicious of the media and rarely gives interviews.

Back in 1992, a Boston Herald reporter confronted her with public records that indicated Althea Garrison once went by a man's name.