Michigan Democrat Challenges Trans Opponent Over Name Used on Ballot Filing

In Michigan, former Democratic lawmaker Frank Liberati has filed a complaint against his primary rival Joanna Whaley, a transgender woman who is also running as a Democrat. As The Advocate reports , Liberati argues that Whaley broke state election law because she did not list a former name when she filed paperwork for the August primary in the 2nd district.

The complaint points to a 2023 name-change petition by Whaley that was not completed at the time. But the publication says she later legally changed her name, and the related court records were sealed for safety reasons as her public profile grew.

There is also an important legal context. Jay Kaplan of the ACLU of Michigan said Whaley has used the name Joanna for more than five years, and state law also recognises so-called common-law name changes when they are not connected to fraud. Under that reading, she could legally file under her current name and would not be violating campaign rules.

Whaley rejected the accusation and said she has the documents and witnesses needed to show that people have long known her as Joanna. She also made clear that she does not want her campaign to revolve around a dispute over her name. Instead, she says she wants to focus on broader issues such as single-payer healthcare and lowering living costs, including utility bills.

The story quickly moved beyond a technical dispute over paperwork. Michigan’s Legislative LGBT Caucus called the complaint meritless and said that using transphobia as an electoral tactic has no place in politics, especially in a Democratic primary.

According to Whaley, she decided to run after state representative Tullio Liberati, her opponent’s brother and the retiring officeholder in the district, voted in March 2025 to ban transgender girls from school sports. The publication notes that in 2026 Whaley is one of two transgender women running in Michigan primary elections.