Wick Thomas
Wick Thomas | |
|---|---|
| Member of the Missouri House of Representatives from the 19th district | |
| Assumed office January 8, 2025 | |
| Preceded by | Ingrid Burnett |
| Personal details | |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Spouse | Clay |
| Residence | Kansas City, Missouri |
| Education | University of Missouri-Kansas City (B.A.) Emporia State University (M.L.S.) |
| Occupation |
|
Wick Thomas is an American politician from Kansas City, Missouri. They were elected to represent District 19 in the Missouri House of Representatives on November 5, 2024, and assumed office on January 8, 2025. A member of the Democratic Party, they are the first openly transgender or non-binary state legislator in Missouri.
Early life
[edit]Thomas is originally from Drexel, Missouri, where they say they experienced bullying in high school. They moved to Kansas City after being homeless as a teenager. They attended the University of Missouri-Kansas City, receiving a B.A. in communications, before getting their M.L.S. from Emporia State University.[1]
They worked at Kansas City Public Library, Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art, and Metropolitan Community College prior to taking political office.[2]
Political career
[edit]Thomas began their political career in 2020 by running against incumbent Ingrid Burnett to represent District 19 in the Missouri House of Representatives. They ultimately lost in the democratic primaries.[3] They unsuccessfully attempted to run against Burnett again in 2022.[4]
After Burnett's retirement, Thomas ran for office in 2024 against Democrat Patricia Hernandez and Republican Karen Spalding.[5] Thomas won the election on November 5, 2024, making them the first openly transgender person elected to a state-level office in Missouri.[6]
In 2025, Republican members of the Missouri Legislature introduced bills to put permanent restrictions on access to sports and gender-affirming care by transgender youth.[7] Thomas, whose initial legislative priorities focused on education, libraries and the arts, made news when they spoke in opposition to the bill.[8]
Electoral history
[edit]| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Ingrid Burnett | 892 | 40.27% | −10.34 | |
| Democratic | Phyllis Harwick | 779 | 35.17% | n/a | |
| Democratic | Nicholas (Wick) Thomas | 544 | 24.56% | n/a | |
| Total votes | 2,215 | 100.00% | |||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Ingrid Burnett | 1,146 | 58.53% | +18.26 | |
| Democratic | Wick Thomas | 812 | 41.47% | +16.91 | |
| Total votes | 1,958 | 100.00% | |||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Wick Thomas | 951 | 50.06% | +8.59 | |
| Democratic | Patricia Ann Geronima Hernandez | 930 | 49.94% | n/a | |
| Total votes | 1,881 | 100.00% | |||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Wick Thomas | 6,180 | 74.51 | n/a | |
| Republican | Karen I Spalding | 2,114 | 25.49 | +3.83 | |
| Total votes | 8,294 | 100.00% | |||
Personal life
[edit]Thomas is non-binary and uses they/them pronouns. They live in Kansas City and run a historic arts business with their spouse Clay.[1]
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ^ a b "Representative Wick Thomas: Member Details". Missouri House of Representatives. Retrieved February 7, 2025.
- ^ Kellogg, Sarah; Rosenbaum, Jason (January 17, 2025). "Missouri state representative wants to protect libraries from government interference". STLPR. Retrieved January 17, 2025.
- ^ "Election Results; Official Election Returns" (PDF). Missouri Secretary of State. August 24, 2020. Retrieved October 12, 2024.
- ^ "Election Results; Official Election Returns" (PDF). Missouri Secretary of State. August 26, 2022. Retrieved October 12, 2024.
- ^ Partian, Dorri (July 18, 2024). "Northeast Neighborhood Forum Introduces Primary Candidates". Northeast News. Retrieved November 13, 2024.
- ^ Prager, Sarah (November 8, 2024). "LGBTQ candidates saw big election wins, with several historic victories". NBC News. Retrieved November 13, 2024.
- ^ {{cite news |last1=Hanshaw |first1=Annelise |title=Missouri Republicans push to make laws restricting transgender minors permanent |url=https://missouriindependent.com/2025/02/04/missouri-republicans-push-to-make-laws-restricting-transgender-minors-permanent/ |access-date=7 February 2025 |work=[[Missouri Independent |date=February 4, 2025}}
- ^ Bayless, Kacen; Kelly, Matthew (February 6, 2025). "Transgender KC residents fear attacks from both sides of state line: 'Where do we go now?'". Kansas City Star. Retrieved February 7, 2025.
- ^ "Election Results; Official Election Returns" (PDF). Missouri Secretary of State. August 24, 2020. Retrieved January 9, 2023.
- ^ "Election Results; Official Election Returns" (PDF). Missouri Secretary of State. August 26, 2022. Retrieved January 9, 2023.
- ^ "Election Results; Official Election Returns" (PDF). Missouri Secretary of State. August 6, 2024. Retrieved November 18, 2024.
- ^ "Election Results; Unofficial Election Returns". Missouri Secretary of State. November 2024. Retrieved November 18, 2024.