Oklahoma elects Mauree Turner, the nation's first Muslim, nonbinary state legislator

OKLAHOMA CITY – An Oklahoma Democrat elected Tuesday will make history as the first Muslim in the Oklahoma Legislature and the first nonbinary legislator in America. 

Progressive community organizer Mauree Turner won the race in House District 88 and will break barriers in Oklahoma's statehouse. 

Turner took more than 71% of the votes in Oklahoma’s 88th House District, which includes Oklahoma City, beating out Republican candidate Kelly Barlean, a retired attorney.

Asked about the victory, Turner, 27, said it was hard to describe the feeling. 

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"For me, this means a lot," Turner said. "I have lived my whole life in the margins."

Before the campaign, Turner worked as the regional field director for the American Civil Liberties Union’s Campaign for Smart Justice.

Turner is nonbinary, meaning their gender identity is not strictly male or female. Turner is also Black and queer. 

The LGBTQ Victory Fund said Turner is the first openly nonbinary person elected to a state legislature. There are only five openly LGBTQ elected officials in Oklahoma, the group said in a news release. 

Growing up, Turner  struggled with being different from other kids. But now Turner hopes to be a role model for the next generation of Oklahomans. 

"As a child, I honestly remember having conversations with my mom where I thought that things would just be better if I was white, or if I was just different in some way, shape or form," Turner said. "So, it means a lot to be able to provide that visibility for other folks." 

Turner was raised in a Muslim and Baptist household, and is a member of the Masjid Mu’Min mosque in Oklahoma City.

Turner's win will allow the Muslim community to see someone who is openly and visibly Muslim in elected office, said Lani Habrock, government affairs director for the Oklahoma chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations. 

Contributing: Joshua Bote, USA TODAY. Follow The Oklahoman's Carmen Forman on Twitter: @CarmenMForman.