Lauren Alex Scott is an American politician, civil rights activist and entrepreneur. In the June 2014 primary election, she won the Republican nomination for the Nevada Assembly's 30th District, earning 58% of the vote. Scott received 46% of the vote in the November 2014 general election and lost the election to incumbent Democrat Michael Sprinkle.
Nevada Governor Brian Sandoval appointed Scott to the Nevada Equal Rights Commission (NERC) in 2012."Business card of Lauren Scott, Commissioner". State of Nevada, DETR, August 4, 2014.
Politics
2012 campaign In the 2012 Republican primary election for Nevada Assembly District 30, Scott received 21 percent of the vote in her bid for the seat vacated by Democrat Debbie Smith. By garnering 65 percent of the vote, Ken Lightfoot won the Republican nomination during that election, defeating Scott and Paul Maineri.
In the general election, Ken Lightfoot lost the election with 43 percent to Michael Sprinkle's 57 percent.
2014 campaign Scott lost the 2014 general election campaign to incumbent Democrat Michael Sprinkle.
Scott won the Nevada Assembly District 30 primary election by receiving 58 percent of the vote, allowing her to advance and represent the Republican Party in November to challenge the current Democratic incumbent, State Assemblyman Michael Sprinkle. Adam Khan unsuccessfully ran against Scott in the primary, winning 42 percent of the vote. Nevada Governor Brian Sandoval endorsed Scott, while Khan had received the endorsement of the Nevada Republican Assembly (NVRA).
2016 campaign Scott announced that she would run again for the Nevada Assembly District 30 seat in 2016.
Civil rights activism
Scott founded Equality Nevada, Inc. in 2009"Silver Flume: Nevada Business Search" Nevada Secretary of State and served as the executive director from 2009 through 2015."Out and About" Reno News and Review, November 25, 2010. Equality Nevada was organized to fight for LGBTQ equality in Nevada and it was voted one of the top grassroots organizations in Northern Nevada in 2009."Best of Northern Nevada". Reno News and Review, September 15, 2009.
Scott supported the repeal of the military "Don't ask, don't tell" policy in 2010. A ban on military service by openly gay and lesbian service members was ruled as a violation of the US Constitution in Log Cabin Republicans v. United States of America in 2011.
In the 2011 legislative session, Scott continued to work to advance civil rights in Nevada."Bills under consideration target transgender bias". Las Vegas Review-Journal, April 24, 2011."Week of Firsts for Nevada's Transgender Community" . YGR Media, March 17, 2011. By working with members of the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), Nevada Women's Lobby and the Progressive Leadership Alliance of Nevada (PLAN), she was able to help secure the passage of transgender inclusive civil rights legislation for the first time in Nevada."Nevada Lawmakers Advance Three More Transgender Rights Bills". Edge, April 22, 2011."Sandoval signs transgender job discrimination bill". Las Vegas Review-Journal, May 24, 2011. She has been recognized on the floor of both the Nevada Assembly and the Senate."Nevada Assembly Floor Session Journal" Nevada Legislative Counsel Bureau, March 15, 2011."Nevada Senate Floor Session Journal" Nevada Legislative Counsel Bureau, May 11, 2011.
During the 2013 Nevada legislative session Scott testified in support of SB139, a bill to add 'gender identity and expression' to the state hate crime statutes."Testimony and Statement of Record of SB139" Legislative Counsel Bureau - Nevada Legislature, March 4, 2013. Nevada Media Alliance, March 4, 2013. The bill was signed by Governor Brian Sandoval on May 21, 2013."Nevada’s Hate Crimes Protections Now Include Transgender Community" Nevada Media Alliance, May 21, 2013.
Later life After resigning her position as Electrical Design Manager at Plasma-Therm in 1998, Scott began her gender transition in 1999 while living in Clearwater, Florida. She co-founded a start-up company that produced high voltage power supplies, which was later acquired and rebranded as Gripping Power, Inc. in 2002."Applied Energy Technologies Announces Operational Changes" . Gripping Power, Inc., November 1, 2002.
Scott was employed as an electrical systems engineer at Biodiesel Solutions in 2007."Biodiesel Solutions staff" . Northern Nevada Business Weekly, July 30, 2007. She was laid off when Biodiesel Solutions ceased operations in 2008."Biodiesel Solutions, Inc. Closes in Sparks" . NCET, August 22, 2008. She has worked as a consultant, on business development and renewable energy issues since then.
She founded and became the president and CEO of Alkcon Corporation in 2013."Methane-to-propane startup wooing investors" . Northern Nevada Business Weekly, June 9, 2014."A clean agreement" . Northern Nevada Business Weekly, July 14, 2015.
Education and military service
Scott graduated with honors from St. Leo University with a Bachelor of Business Administration, with specializations in technology management and information systems, in 1994."NV Could Be First State To Elect Openly Transgender Republican Legislator". Public News Service, June 2014.
Scott enlisted in the US Air Force in 1986 and worked as a firefighter until she received an honorable discharge in 1994."DD Form 214". US Department of Defense, November 18, 2021.
See also List of transgender public officeholders in the United States
References
External links
Not A Good Night For Trans Candidates Either by Monica Roberts (November 5, 2014), TransGriot Nevada might get its first transgender legislator — and she’s Republican by Whip Villarreal (July 5, 2014), Las Vegas Review-Journal Republicans Elect Their First Ever Transgender Candidate In Party Primary by Jean Ann Esselink (June 13, 2014) The New Civil Rights Movement Nevada Republican Could Become Nation's First Transgender State Legislator by Samantha Lachman (June 12, 2014) The Huffington Post US: Trans candidate wins Nevada Republican primary by Nick Duffy (June 12, 2014) Pink News Nev.'s Scott Could Be Nation's First Transgender State Legislator by Neal Broverman (March 19, 2012), The Advocate