Brianna Westbrook (born November 24, 1984) is an American transgender rights activist who is a vice-chair of the Arizona Democratic Party and employed as a consultant for a Phoenix-valley area based technology company.
[9] Westbrook began her foray into electoral politics in response to the rise of Donald Trump's 2016 presidential campaign, announcing she would run against Republican incumbent Trent Franks in the US congressional midterm election in 2018, before learning of his resignation.
[7][10] The news of Franks's resignation following his sexual harassment scandal led to a rise in media attention of the subsequent special election, which gave Westbrook, running to become what would have been the first transgender representative of in the US Congress, support from national figures such as Rosie O'Donnell and Chelsea Manning[9] Although Franks's seat had been historically ignored by Democratic contenders,[7] Westbrook was joined in the Democratic primary election by physician Hiral Tipirneni.
Public high school teacher Gene Scharer, who ran against Franks in 2012,[11] had intended to join Westbrook and Tipirneni in the primary, but fell hundreds of signatures short and did not qualify to run.
[18] In 2022, Westbrook launched a campaign for Arizona's 5th legislative district, representing central Phoenix and neighborhoods in its periphery, competing for one of two seats with incumbents Jennifer Longdon, Amish Shah, Sarah Liguori as well as new challenger Aaron Marquez.
[21][22] Westbrook's campaign was endorsed by Planned Parenthood Advocates of Arizona, LUCHA, Working Families Party, Stonewall Democratic Club, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez's Courage to Change, Everytown for Gun Safety, AEA Fund for Public Education and Lead Locally.
[34][4] The Maricopa County Board of Supervisors ultimately chose to nominate Sarah Liguori as Logndon's replacement, and following that, Charles Lucking to full Shah's seat.
The NFL had previously stated that it would "stand with LGBTQ+ people this month and yearlong with a commitment to our players, our fans and our staff to live proudly and authentically," and Westbrook argued that if the NFL aims to keep its promise, it should move the Super Bowl out of Arizona as a gesture of solidarity with trans youth in Arizona, and as a protest against legislation aiming to restrict some forms of voter accessibility.
[45][non-primary source needed][46][47] Previously in 2018, Sanders had also credited Westbrook for running for public office, writing about her campaign, "As I have said many times, elections are not going to be won unless there is excitement on the ground, unless ordinary people become involved.
Although she concedes that the Affordable Care Act was "a step in the right direction in many regards," she advocates for full implementation of a single-payer system that aims to guarantee universal low-cost medical services for all Americans.
[53] She also advocates for policies which would invest in green technologies, such as solar and wind to increase their affordability[54] as well as promoting tax incentives for transitioning to renewable energy sources.
[55][56] Lead Locally added Westbrook's 2022 Arizona legislature campaign to their Green New Deal slate, soon after the US Supreme Court's West Virginia v. EPA ruling.
Westbook joined city council members Carlos Garcia, Sal DiCiccio and several Phoenix residents in voicing concerns around the lack of regulation and oversight in the use of the drones, stating that they "should be subject to independent public audits.
She emphasizes intersectionality on her perspective on abortion rights, warning that police violence would ultimately be used to enforce the ban, and disproportionately effect low-income people and communities of color.