Married father, 37, who’s in heterosexual relationship with woman is elected Maine’s first non-binary lawmaker

Seven Siegel, a Democrat who uses they/them pronouns, has become the first openly non-binary person elected to Maine’s state legislature. The 37-year-old won a seat in the House of Representatives, saying representation matters while emphasising that policy and public service were the focus of their campaign.

Siegel defeated Republican Diana Kushnar by 3,229 votes to 2,101 in a district covering part of Gorham, where they live with their wife and young daughter. A high-school computer science teacher and former two-term Gorham town councillor, Siegel campaigned on the cost of living, technology policy and removing corporate tax breaks; they will remain on the council until their term ends next November.