Rosemary Ketchum

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Rosemary Ketchum
Wheeling City Councillor for Ward 3
Assumed office
2020
Personal details
Bornc. 1994
Political partyIndependent
EducationWest Virginia Northern Community College
Wheeling Jesuit University
Websiterosemaryketchum.com

Rosemary Ketchum (born c. 1994) is an American politician and community organizer serving as a city councillor for Ward 3 of Wheeling, West Virginia since 2020. She is the first transgender person elected to political office in West Virginia.

Life[edit]

Ketchum was born c. 1994 and raised in East Liverpool, Ohio.[1][2] Her mother worked as a waitress and bartender and her father worked at a porcelain factory.[2] As a child, Ketchum's family was homeless after their home burned down.[3] She moved to West Virginia with her parents.[4] She earned degrees in psychology from West Virginia Northern Community College and Wheeling Jesuit University in 2019.[4]

Ketchum worked was a community organizer, serving as the associate director of the National Alliance on Mental Illness of Greater Wheeling in Wheeling, West Virginia.[3][1] She is a member of the Wheeling human rights commission and served on the board of the West Virginia American Civil Liberties Union.[1]

On July 12, 2019, Ketchum announced that she would seek election to the Wheeling city council from Ward 3.[5] On June 9, 2020, she won the non-partisan municipal election against Peggy Niebergall, Jerome Henry, and Erick Marple, becoming the first transgender person elected to political office in West Virginia.[6][7] Following her victory she was praised by Annise Parker, the former Mayor of Houston, Texas, and congratulated by GLAAD.[8] Ketchum is the subject of the 2020 West Virginia Public Broadcasting documentary, "Rosemary."[9] She was a mayoral candidate in the 2024 Wheeling, West Virginia municipal election.[10]

Electoral history[edit]

Ward 3 Wheeling, West Virginia city council election[11]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Nonpartisan Rosemary Ketchum 287 39.26%
Nonpartisan Peggy Niebergall 272 37.21%
Nonpartisan Jermone Henry 137 18.74%
Nonpartisan Erik Marple 35 4.79%
Total votes 731 100.00%

See also[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b c Asmelash, Leah (2020-06-10). "West Virginia just elected its first openly transgender official". CNN. Retrieved 2024-05-11.
  2. ^ a b Scipioni, Jade (2020-06-25). "'I've been so unapologetic, people had no choice but to work with me': first transgender elected official in WV". CNBC. Retrieved 2024-05-11.
  3. ^ a b Fitzsimons, Tim (2020-06-11). "West Virginia elects its first out transgender official". NBC News. Retrieved 2024-05-11.
  4. ^ a b "Rosemary Ketchum Transitions From Community Advocate to Public Servant". theintelligencer.net. February 21, 2022. Retrieved 2024-05-11.
  5. ^ "Rosemary Ketchum Plans to Run for Wheeling City Council". July 13, 2019. Archived from the original on June 13, 2020. Retrieved June 16, 2020.
  6. ^ "Ketchum takes Ward 3 of Wheeling City Council". June 9, 2020. Archived from the original on June 13, 2020. Retrieved June 16, 2020.
  7. ^ Mansoor, Sanya (2020-06-11). "West Virginia Elects First Openly Transgender Official". TIME. Retrieved 2024-05-11.
  8. ^ "'I Really Want to Be in the Room.' Rosemary Ketchum Elected as West Virginia's First Openly Transgender Official". June 11, 2020. Archived from the original on June 13, 2020. Retrieved June 16, 2020.
  9. ^ Ayres, Eric (October 24, 2020). "Wheeling City Councilwoman Rosemary Ketchum Subject of Documentary". theintelligencer.net. Retrieved 2024-05-11.
  10. ^ Willingham, Leah (2024-05-10). "How West Virginia's first transgender elected official is influencing local politics". AP News. Retrieved 2024-05-11.
  11. ^ "City of Wheeling Election Results". The Intelligencer. June 9, 2020. Archived from the original on June 16, 2020. Retrieved June 16, 2020.

External links[edit]

Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Rosemary_Ketchum&oldid=1223937339"