Matthew Mackey will run to represent the newly-redistricted 101st New York state Assembly District as a Democrat this fall.  

“The representation that we have had in this district has historically been not effective," Mackey said. "And so, it really is important that we get effective leadership." 

The 101st District looks very different this campaign season. With a new district map being drawn, former Assemblyman for the district, Republican Brian Miller, will run to represent the 122nd District as incumbent Assemblyman John Salka is running for the state Senate. Town of Montgomery Supervisor Brian Maher will run as a Republican for the 101st District alongside Mackey.

Mackey, who asked to be identified as xe, looks to become the first non-binary member of the New York State Legislature, making it a historic run.

“To be the first non-binary legislator would be an immense honor, not just for me, but just to show how inclusivity matters, " xe said.

But this run is about more than just representation. Mackey said xe wants to work for every constituent in this district, no matter the party affiliation.

“There’s so many eclectic views, that it’s important to remember that when you are running, you’re not just running for one specific party or the other," Mackey said. "You’re running to represent everyone in the district and all of those views.”

Mackey's experience as an advocate started at an early age, advocating for sign language interpreters at school functions to accommodate xis deaf parents, and later on, petitioning the Obama administration on behalf of a binational, same-sex couple facing deportation. 

“So I created a Change.org petition and within a week, week and a half, we got 23,000 signatures," Mackey said. "And the deportation was stopped.”

Mackey said there’s a lot of reasons that xe chose to run; but most of all, xe wants to protect the beauty of the district xe calls home. 

“Beautiful, scenic routes that we need to protect to make sure that they’re here for a very long time," xe said, "and that people are here to look at it and admire how beautiful it is.”