In Georgia, two trans candidates believe voters are ready for them

October 6, 2026

Two transgender candidates, Bentley Hudgins and Bella Bautista, are running for Georgia House seats with vastly different prospects and challenges. Hudgins, a 33-year-old democratic socialist from Atlanta, is heavily favored to win in a liberal district and would become Georgia's first nonbinary lawmaker and first Japanese-American legislator. Meanwhile, Bautista, 23, faces an uphill battle in a deeply conservative rural district that hasn't elected a Democrat since 1996, where she's endured harassment including stolen campaign signs and online attacks.

Who is affected

Bentley Hudgins (33-year-old democratic socialist candidate running in Atlanta's House District 90)
Bella Bautista (23-year-old transgender Latina candidate running in rural Bartow County)
Mitchell Scoggins (GOP incumbent facing Bautista)
Samantha Boston (Republican opponent receiving minimal votes against Hudgins)
LGBTQ+ people and immigrants in Georgia
Bautista's mother (who she is primary caretaker for)
Residents of Bartow County (facing issues with data centers, mental healthcare, and single-commissioner governance)
Residents of House District 90 in Atlanta (facing affordability and displacement issues)
LGBTQ+ youth served by Bautista's nonprofit
State Rep. Akbar Ali (youngest Georgia lawmaker receiving award from Bautista)
Sam Park (Georgia House minority whip and Hudgins' mentor)
Rural and urban Democratic voters in Georgia
Georgia Democratic Party leadership

What action is being taken

Hudgins is running for House District 90 in Atlanta (with over 7,000 votes in the Democratic primary)
Bautista is running in a rural conservative district in Bartow County
Bautista's nonprofit is distributing supplies to at-risk young adults, primarily transgender and immigrant youth
Democrats are attempting to shrink or end Republican control of the Georgia House
Bautista is replacing stolen campaign signs (hundreds were taken down across her district)
Bautista is campaigning on issues including data center regulation, Flock camera regulation, conservation of farmland, and expansion of rural mental healthcare
Hudgins is campaigning on raising minimum wage to $20/hour and creating a state earned income tax credit

Why it matters

This election represents a critical test of whether transgender candidates can win office by focusing on economic and local issues rather than identity politics, potentially reshaping how LGBTQ+ candidates campaign in conservative areas. The races highlight the stark urban-rural divide in American politics, with Hudgins nearly guaranteed victory in liberal Atlanta while Bautista faces severe obstacles in rural Georgia despite being the first Democrat to even run for the seat since 2010. If elected, these candidates would make history as Georgia's first transgender legislators, challenging a statehouse built around gender binary assumptions with gendered dress codes and rules. The campaigns also reflect broader frustration with government institutions, particularly in rural areas where voters feel abandoned by both parties, making Bautista's anti-establishment positioning potentially significant for future Democratic strategy. Finally, Georgia's record-breaking primary turnout suggests a possible political realignment in a swing state crucial to national elections.

What's next

Hudgins' wedding is scheduled for November (the same month as the general election)
If Hudgins wins, they will need to decide how to navigate the gendered dress code and rules in the Georgia statehouse, potentially facing fines for violations
If Democrats win a majority, Hudgins plans to work on changing the statehouse rules regarding gendered language and dress codes
Bautista aims to inspire other transgender women to run for higher offices including governor, state senator, and commissioner within two years

Read full article from source: The 19th