Clearwater, Fla. – The guest speaker for the November meeting of the Tampa Bay Gay and Lesbian Chamber of Commerce was very subtle when she made a huge announcement at the Nov. 12 meeting at the Holiday Inn on Ulmerton Road. Kristen Beck said she plans to run for the District 13 Congressional seat vacated by the late C.W. Bill Young.
“I want to be the first transgender person in Congress, and I want to make a difference,” she told the gathering of 30 or so people. “We’re in a point in our lifetime that we can enact change, and I know I can do that from Washington, D.C.
Young, a Republican, served in the seat for more than four decades and announced in the late summer that he wouldn’t seek re-election because of health issues. He died Oct. 18.
Former Democratic Gubernatorial Candidate and Florida CFO Alex Sink is currently running against Republican Washington Lobbyist David Jolly to fill the seat. Beck is currently registered to vote under the name Christopher Beck as a No Party voter or “independent.”
The special election primary is scheduled for Jan. 14 and the general election is March 11.
“I fought on the battlefield and I’ve fought as a small business owner,” explained Beck. “Now it’s time for me to take on a different fight.”
Beck admitted that she still has a lot to learn about running a campaign, adding that she decided to announce her plans “on the spot” during the meeting. Beck did not make it clear whether she plans to change her name before filing as a candidate.
Beck, a former United States Navy SEAL, made headlines earlier this year when she shared publicly that she was a transgender woman. She served in the Navy for 20 years, and since coming out has appeared on Cable news networks, talk shows and in newspapers across the country.
Beck, who married twice, has two sons from her first marriage. This campaign for congress would be her first attempt at seeking public office.
“We have to stand together,” she told the group, adding that she was inspired by a transgender 16 year old she met in Volusia County earlier this fall.
“Here’s this kid fighting for his rights, something that was unimaginable when I was his age,” Beck continued. “If he can fight for us, then so can I.”
District 13 covers Clearwater, Dunedin, St. Pete Beach, Largo, Pinellas Park and St. Petersburg.
