Aug 13, 2026 · 51 min · 9 segments
Leigh Finke was the first openly trans woman to be elected to the Minnesota House of Representatives. She authored and championed Minnesota's Trans Refuge Bill and has worked tirelessly to expand…
Leigh FinkeGuestJontyHoststart up, you are the first openly trans representative in the Minnesota House of Representatives.
Is that correct? I am so sketchy on U.S.
politics.
Please explain what that means.
No problem.
Yeah, so I was elected in 2022 as the first openly trans woman in the legislature, right? So in the House or the Senate.
And, you know, I was maybe, I came in with a class of a couple other people in other states.
Fantastic.
I don't even know if it is.
Well, I don't think we call it that anymore because who wants to be the white north? But because of the snow, but also because mostly we're white.
And if I understand it correctly, the Twin Cities are more liberal, Democrat, but the state is not necessarily very blue, or is that correct? What is the makeup of Minnesota in terms of social attitudes and politics?
Yeah, so we have been a blue state, right? A democratically controlled state, mostly, for the past 10 years or so, but only just, right? When I got elected in 22, we came in with a trifecta, but we had a one-vote majority in the Senate.
And then after the 24 elections, we have a tie in the House and a one-vote majority in the Senate.
start up, you are the first openly trans representative in the Minnesota House of Representatives.
Is that correct? I am so sketchy on U.S.
politics.
Please explain what that means.
No problem.
Yeah, so I was elected in 2022 as the first openly trans woman in the legislature, right? So in the House or the Senate.
And, you know, I was maybe, I came in with a class of a couple other people in other states.
Fantastic.
I don't even know if it is.
Well, I don't think we call it that anymore because who wants to be the white north? But because of the snow, but also because mostly we're white.
And if I understand it correctly, the Twin Cities are more liberal, Democrat, but the state is not necessarily very blue, or is that correct? What is the makeup of Minnesota in terms of social attitudes and politics?
Yeah, so we have been a blue state, right? A democratically controlled state, mostly, for the past 10 years or so, but only just, right? When I got elected in 22, we came in with a trifecta, but we had a one-vote majority in the Senate.
And then after the 24 elections, we have a tie in the House and a one-vote majority in the Senate.
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