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Rosemary Ketchum

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Rosemary Ketchum
Member of the Wheeling City Council
for Ward 3
In office
July 1, 2020 – June 30, 2024
Preceded byMelinda Koslik
Succeeded byConnie Cain
Personal details
Born1993 or 1994 (age 30–31)
Political partyDemocratic
EducationWest Virginia Northern Community College
Wheeling Jesuit University
Websiterosemaryketchum.com

Rosemary Ketchum (born c. 1993) is an American politician and community organizer serving as a city councillor for Ward 3 of Wheeling, West Virginia From 2020 to 2024. She is the first transgender person elected to political office in West Virginia. In 2024 she unsuccessfully ran for mayor of Wheeling.

Life

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Ketchum was born c. 1993 and raised in East Liverpool, Ohio.[1][2] Her mother worked as a waitress and bartender and her father worked at a porcelain factory.[2] As a child, Ketchum's family was homeless after their home burned down.[3] She moved to West Virginia with her parents.[4] She earned degrees in psychology from West Virginia Northern Community College and Wheeling Jesuit University in 2019.[4]

Ketchum worked was a community organizer, serving as the associate director of the National Alliance on Mental Illness of Greater Wheeling in Wheeling, West Virginia.[3][1] She is a member of the Wheeling human rights commission and served on the board of the West Virginia American Civil Liberties Union.[1]

On July 12, 2019, Ketchum announced that she would seek election to the Wheeling city council from Ward 3.[5] On June 9, 2020, she won the non-partisan municipal election against Peggy Niebergall, Jerome Henry, and Erick Marple, becoming the first transgender person elected to political office in West Virginia.[6][7][8] Following her victory she was praised by Annise Parker, the former Mayor of Houston, Texas, and congratulated by GLAAD.[9] Ketchum is the subject of the 2020 West Virginia Public Broadcasting documentary Rosemary.[10] She was a candidate for mayor of Wheeling in the 2024 election, coming in second against Denny Magruder.[11][12]

Electoral history

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Ward 3 Wheeling, West Virginia city council election[13]
Candidate Votes %
Rosemary Ketchum 287 39.26%
Peggy Niebergall 272 37.21%
Jermone Henry 137 18.74%
Erik Marple 35 4.79%
Total votes 731 100.0%

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b c Asmelash, Leah (2020-06-10). "West Virginia just elected its first openly transgender official". CNN. Retrieved 2024-05-11.
  2. ^ a b Scipioni, Jade (2020-06-25). "'I've been so unapologetic, people had no choice but to work with me': first transgender elected official in WV". CNBC. Retrieved 2024-05-11.
  3. ^ a b Fitzsimons, Tim (2020-06-11). "West Virginia elects its first out transgender official". NBC News. Retrieved 2024-05-11.
  4. ^ a b "Rosemary Ketchum Transitions From Community Advocate to Public Servant". theintelligencer.net. February 21, 2022. Retrieved 2024-05-11.
  5. ^ "Rosemary Ketchum Plans to Run for Wheeling City Council". July 13, 2019. Archived from the original on June 13, 2020. Retrieved June 16, 2020.
  6. ^ "Ketchum takes Ward 3 of Wheeling City Council". June 9, 2020. Archived from the original on June 13, 2020. Retrieved June 16, 2020.
  7. ^ Mansoor, Sanya (2020-06-11). "West Virginia Elects First Openly Transgender Official". TIME. Retrieved 2024-05-11.
  8. ^ "New City Council Members Say Their Focus Will be on Wheeling's Neighborhoods". The Intelligencer and Wheeling News-Register. July 4, 2020. Retrieved May 21, 2024.
  9. ^ "'I Really Want to Be in the Room.' Rosemary Ketchum Elected as West Virginia's First Openly Transgender Official". June 11, 2020. Archived from the original on June 13, 2020. Retrieved June 16, 2020.
  10. ^ Ayres, Eric (October 24, 2020). "Wheeling City Councilwoman Rosemary Ketchum Subject of Documentary". theintelligencer.net. Retrieved 2024-05-11.
  11. ^ Willingham, Leah (2024-05-10). "How West Virginia's first transgender elected official is influencing local politics". AP News. Retrieved 2024-05-11.
  12. ^ Lynch, John; Moore, Steven (May 14, 2024). "Denny Magruder is your new mayor of Wheeling". WTRF-TV. Retrieved May 21, 2024.
  13. ^ "City of Wheeling Election Results". The Intelligencer. June 9, 2020. Archived from the original on June 16, 2020. Retrieved June 16, 2020.
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