Last year, Palm Springs Mayor Pro Tem Lisa Middleton, the first transgender person in California elected to a non-judicial position, opted to sit out the special election for the open 28th Senate District seat and instead run for reelection to her city council seat in the LGBTQ tourist and retirement mecca.
Republican former state Senator Jeff Stone had resigned in November 2019 to work for the Trump administration in the Department of Labor, leading to the special election to succeed him in the Legislature.
Middleton was strongly urged to jump into the race, as she would attract nationwide attention for aiming to become the first transgender person elected to the state Legislature.