WASHINGTON — Kristin Beck, a former Navy SEAL who rose to prominence for speaking out about her experiences as a transgender woman, has filed the papers to launch a primary challenge against Rep. Steny Hoyer (D-Md.), the second-ranking Democrat in the House.
Beck is a decorated 20-year veteran of the elite unit SEAL Team 6. She filed her papers with the Maryland Board of Elections in Annapolis on Monday, according to the Baltimore Sun, which first reported on her candidacy.
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Beck’s campaign infrastructure is still in its infancy. Currently, she said her staff consists solely of volunteers, and her only online presence is a still-incomplete campaign website and a personal Twitter account.
If elected, Beck would be the first transgender member of Congress. As of October, there was only one openly transgender staffer currently working on Capitol Hill.
