In Wisconsin’s high-stakes April 1 election in which Susan Crawford was elected to the State Supreme Court, Dina Nina Martinez-Rutherford was re-elected as an alder to serve on the Madison City Council.

Two years ago, Martinez-Rutherford became the first transgender woman to serve on the council, and represented District 15, which encompasses the Schenk-Atwood, Yahara, Starkweather, Eastmorland, and Lake Edge neighborhoods. While she began a campaign for re-election in this cycle, she ultimately dropped out of the race to focus on her health and for other personal reasons.

Despite the fact that she ultimately endorsed her opponent, Ryan Koglin, by the time she suspended her campaign, the deadline to be removed from the ballot had already passed. She was re-elected to her alder seat by a margin of over 200 votes, and was then faced with the decision of whether or not to continue to serve.

After taking time to consider, Martinez-Rutherford decided to remain on the council, noting at her press conference that, “Over the past two years, I’ve had the profound honor of serving this district. Of walking alongside families, hearing your stories, and being shaped by this community—especially by the children and young people who’ve seen a reflection of their future in me. That is a gift I carry in my spirit. To everyone who believed in the possibility of this moment: Thank you. Let’s keep believing. Let’s keep building, because possibility lives right here—in all of us.”

Her re-election serves as a beacon of hope in a time when anti-trans legislation and sentiment has been put in the forefront of our state and national political landscape, and a strong message of support for the work that she put in during her first term on the Council.