Bait and Switch? Georgia Supreme Court Rules that Transgender Candidate Did Not Trick Voters

The Georgia Supreme Court has ruled that a woman who won a Riverdale City Council position in November did not mislead voters because she was born a man. Michelle Bruce did not tell voters that she was once man and the losers in the election cried foul. Georgia Fuller and Stan Harris filed actions to invalidate the election that they lost to Bruce, but the Supreme Court ruled for the transgender city councilperson.


Writing for the Court, Supreme Court Justice Hugh Thompson wrote that the candidates did not produce any evidence of “fraud, misconduct, irregularity or illegality.”

Fuller and Harris insist that Bruce was originally named Michael. Bruce says that she changed her name in 1980 to Mickey Michelle Bruce and goes by Michelle Mickey Bruce.

The ruling itself is a bit dated. Bruce was elected in 2004 but lost a bid for a second term to Atlanta firefighter Wayne Hall.

For the opinion, click here.

For the full story, click here

2 Responses to “Bait and Switch? Georgia Supreme Court Rules that Transgender Candidate Did Not Trick Voters”


  1. 1 jonolan 1, October 8, 2008 at 6:34 am

    Not a truly fair assessment of the plaintiffs’ contention. In fact, according to the Court’s opinion:

    …they allege that Bruce, who used the name Michelle, misled voters into believing that he was a woman; that Ruffin campaigned at Riverdale’s Fall Fest while he wore a campaign shirt; that the mayor and council failed to appoint a new manager for the November 6 election; and that the absentee ballot clerk was appointed improperly.

    So we have complaints about “gender fraud,” improper campaigning, and irregularities in the appointment of the clerk responsible for tabulating absentee ballots.


  1. 1 Morning Roundup — Wednesday | The Political Whore Trackback on 1, October 8, 2008 at 7:25 am

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