Written by via dailymail.co.uk
Calexico has voted to oust the first transgender mayor in California in a long awaited recall vote as the politician blames transphobia for the decision.
Mayor Raul Ureña, 26, identifies as a transgender woman and prefers she/they pronouns.
Ureña was elected into office in 2020 at the age of 23 and came out as gender-fluid and transgender in 2022 – after her re-election.
She eventually started wearing dresses and makeup in official appearances, which riled up voters who felt duped because they believed they were voting for a gay cisgender man and not a transgender woman.
However, on April 16 nearly 74 percent of voters supported the recall of the City Councilmember, according to early results released by the Imperial County registrar of voters on Wednesday night.
Another Calexico politician and coworker of Ureña was also targeted by the recall campaign.
Councilmember Gilberto Manzanarez, another young and progressive outspoken politician, saw 73 percent of voters vote in favor of the recall.
Despite recall campaign organizers insisting that the efforts were rooted in concerns about homelessness and the economy – the ousted politicians believe otherwise.
Ureña and Manzanarez said they believe the recall campaign was largely motivated by transphobia, according to the LA Times.