How West Virginia's first transgender elected official is influencing local politics

(10 May 2024)
RESTRICTION SUMMARY:

ASSOCIATED PRESS
Wheeling, West Virginia - 5 April 2024
1. Tight on nameplate
2. Medium of Rosemary Ketchum working
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3 SOUNDBITE (English) Rosemary Ketchum, city council member and mayoral candidate:
"When I was 15, I genuinely believed that the world was my oyster and that anything was possible. I did not think that I'd run for office, let alone get elected, let alone, you know, mount a campaign to become the next mayor of the city of Wheeling."
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4. SOUNDBITE (English) Rosemary Ketchum, city council member and mayoral candidate:
"We were severely impacted by the flood levels. And our residents have all kinds of questions. And I found that we did a really good job of getting them the information that they needed."
5. Wide of Rosemary Ketchum speaking to workers about flooding
6. Wide of Rosemary Ketchum pointing to historical flood markers
7. Tight on campaign sign
8. Tight on door hanging sign
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9. SOUNDBITE (English) Rosemary Ketchum, city council member and mayoral candidate:
"I did not run for city council to make history. I ran to make a difference in my community. But in 2020, we ended up making history. I was elected as the first openly transgender person elected to a public office here in the state of West Virginia."
10. Wide of Rosemary Ketchum talking to a person
11. Wide of Rosemary Ketchum talking to a person
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12. SOUNDBITE (English) Rosemary Ketchum, city council member and mayoral candidate:
"When I'm talking to folks, at their door canvassing the neighborhood, we are talking about really local issues. People are interested in infrastructure, paving, sidewalks, potholes, small business, youth retention."
13. SOUNDBITE (English) Rosemary Ketchum, city council member and mayoral candidate:
"And I think it's fascinating that somebody might say, 'You know what? You know, those trans people on television, on the internet, you know, I don't know about that. But I have to say that a trans person helped me pave my road or fill my pothole or, you know, trim the tree in my front yard or fix my sidewalk.'"
14. Wide of Rosemary Ketchum talking to a person
STORYLINE:
Rosemary Ketchum became West Virginia's first openly transgender lawmaker when she was elected to the Wheeling City Council in 2020.

Now, she's running for mayor of the city of around 26,000 in the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains.
While leaders nationwide may be focused on divisive social issues, she said most of her work has to do with quelling traffic, filling potholes and developing the local economy.

"I did my best to represent our city well and to hopefully pivot the conversations from something that might be superficial, like my gender identity, into the issues that our city is facing," said Ketchum, who was out canvassing the neighborhood with campaign door flags and talking to people about recent flooding in the city.

During her time in office, she helped establish the city's first internal position focused on forging relationships with people experiencing homelessness.

"There are plenty of folks who did not vote for me and or are not comfortable being, you know, in the space of a transgender person," Ketchum said. "Or maybe they don't feel like they've met a transgender person before.

And so, you know, that does not stop me from doing my job and serving the people that I represent."


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