Trans Democrat Avery Rowland makes LGBTQ rights central to Kansas midterms run

Avery Rowland is running for Kansas House District 2 in the 2026 midterms in November 3 elections. The Democrat shared her views exclusively with HT.com.Avery Rowland is running for Kansas House District 2 in the November 3 midterms. (Avery Rowland)Rowland is facing Republican Daniel Muter and while she gears up for the showdown, the Democrat gave an insight into why she decided to run and the politics of her identity that has shaped her battle at large.Avery Rowland: 'My identity is an issue'Rowland noted that she was amid a ‘busy season’ with elections approaching. She explained she'd ‘always, kind of wanted to run for office'.“I'm transgender, and my driver's license and identity is an issue in the state of Kansas to the government people, and I wanted to be in the room when laws are being made,” Rowland said.She was speaking of Kansas Senate Bill 244 (SB 244) which invalidates existing state-issued driver's licenses and identification cards for transgender people whose gender markers don't match the sex assigned at birth.Also Read | Juan Luengo's vow as he runs for Kansas Treasurer post in midterms: ‘Have to work with both political parties’Asked about possible laws to help the transgender community, and whether she'd back those if she were to become a representative, the candidate said that the need of the hour was to bring back some ‘humanity’. “We'd work on everyone being equal and not having special or…restrictions against different segments of the population,” Rowland continued.Rowland went back to the specific law about drivers' licenses, saying it was ‘performative’ but didn't really change anything. The Democrat then spoke of this law being supported by a section of the people in Kansas.“Everybody I meet in person are kind and generous, though there are some people who are not. But, that is a very small section of the population, that is not the majority. It is a very vocal minority,” Rowland added.Avery Rowland on some key issues ahead of midtermsSpeaking of some of the key issues she felt needed to be addressed, Rowland mentioned expanding healthcare access, given she lived in a rural area.“I want to ensure public education is completely funded,” Rowland also said, and added ‘equal human rights’ and ‘basic infrastructure’ to the things that needed addressing. The Democrat further said that there was a need for highways, bridges, and power stations.“We need to invest in our local economy,” Rowland declared. However, the candidate noted that due to a Republican supermajority, the goal was to make the GOP lawmakers to come to the table.Speaking of her competition, Muter, Rowland said that he was ‘very conservative’ and ‘very MAGA’ but the voters would decide whether she had an edge over him. She spoke of Muter being anti abortion and anti marijuana, highlighting that the former was legal in the state, while the latter was legal across the border. Rowland added that the revenue from legalization could help the state. She also added that while she wanted to fully fund education, Muter seemed to prefer vouchers and private schools.Rowland also added there were similarities, like a belief that property rights mattered, and they both liked living in small towns. The Democrat also expressed overall concerns about the Iran war and the price hikes it had led to. She remarked that people ‘saw’ such changes and it impacted their choice during elections.Before signing off, Rowland shared her message for voters, urging them to use their ‘heart’ and ‘conscience’. The candidate added her saying was ‘Ad Astra per Avery’ a twist on the Kansas motto. She noted that she wanted to reach for the stars and take the people of Kansas with her.