Transgender Pol Fights Fraud Claims
Thursday, November 22, 2007
By GREG BLUESTEIN, Associated Press Writer
RIVERDALE, Ga. —
Four years after she won a City Council seat, making her what is believed to be Georgia's
first transgender politician, Michelle Bruce is battling a lawsuit launched by an
unsuccessful opponent who claims she misled voters by running as a female.
Bruce, a tall woman with shoulder-length graying hair, said she has always identified
herself as transgender.
"I've always been Michelle," she said. "If someone has a problem with that, I can't help
them. It's a personal issue."
Bruce, 46, who runs an auto repossession business, launched her political campaign in
2003.
Running unopposed, she landed one of four council seats and pledged to attract more jobs
and residents to Riverdale, a gritty town of 12,000 about 12 miles south of Atlanta, lined
with rundown strip malls and used car shops.
Three rivals ran against her in the Nov. 6 election. She captured 312 votes, not enough to
avoid a Dec. 4 runoff against second-place finisher Wayne Hall, who earned 202 votes.
Then the third-place finisher, Georgia Fuller, who collected 171 votes, filed a lawsuit
claiming election fraud.
The complaint, identifying Bruce as "Michael Bruce," claims she misled voters by
identifying herself as female.
It asks a judge to rule the November election results invalid and order another general
election.
Fuller did not return calls seeking comment, but her attorney said that voters in Riverdale
tend to favor female candidates _ particularly if they are incumbents.
"It gives her an unfair advantage," said attorney Michael King. "It's not just sour grapes.
The people need to know whether the election is fair."
The suit is unlikely to be settled before the Dec. 4 runoff, but Bruce sees it as an attempt
to alienate her from voters.
"They're just distracting the voters from the issues. Everybody in my district knows me,
everyone in Riverdale knows me," she said. "I've done a real good job representing the
people. I am for the people."
"I'm Michelle. I'm the same Michelle they elected four years ago," she said.
Riverdale City Attorney Deana Johnson said Bruce's identity was no mystery to her
constituents.
"She has served as councilperson for four years as Michelle Bruce," she said. "It sounds
like a case of politics."
Bruce won't say if she had surgery to change her gender, saying it's a personal matter.
She deflected most questions about her personal life to address her hopes for Riverdale, a
town she said is in search of an identity.
"People want a candidate that will listen to them, protect them, save them money and be
there for them," she said. "And I always will be."
___
Associated Press writer Jason Bronis in Atlanta contributed to this report.
Copyright 2007 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be
published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.