Kali Scales Announces Candidacy for Michigan State House District 5

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Kali Scales has announced her candidacy for the 2026 midterm elections as she seeks to run for the Michigan House of Representatives in District 5, which comprises Northwest Detroit, Oak Park, and Royal Oak Township. A first time candidate, she stands to be the first transgender person elected to the State Legislature if she is victorious in her campaign.

"My Mother used to tell me that every single day you have the choice to make the world a little bit better or a little bit worse. I'm running for office because, in my estimation, too many people have decided to make it worse," said Kali.

Kali has announced that she is running a Back to Basics campaign, focusing on her AEIOUs - Autonomy, Education, Inclusivity, Opportunities, and Unions. Her kickoff event is scheduled for October 9th at 6pm at Bink's Grill in Detroit. Tickets can be found here - https://secure.actblue.com/donate/kalikickoff

About Kali

Kali Scales is a writer, performer, and storyteller dedicated to the concepts of never punching down, always striving for inclusivity, and spreading a message of hope. Born and raised in Metro Detroit, she is the child of a small business owner and a local school bus driver. Her blue collar background has always inspired her to tell stories of perseverance and dedication, but it has also helped her to understand the many ways in which the system fails those who are most in need of it.

While she was a strong student, graduating Clawson High School, and being accepted into the University of Michigan in Dearborn, Kali struggled with depression and ADHD. In her college years, her depression worsened until she was finally taught about Gender Dysphoria. That year, she came out as trans, and eventually left the computer science program at U of M to pursue Digital Media Production at the Specs Howard School of Broadcasting. Upon graduation, she helped to create the first nationally syndicated radio show talking about Esports and competitive video gaming. Hosted in 90 stations across North America, she was public about her transition, and helped spread awareness of trans issues in any way that she could. Later on, she helped to found and served as the first editor-in-chief of Esports Illustrated, the gaming vertical of Sports Illustrated.

During her time there, she championed fair wages, diversity, inclusivity, ethical journalism, and fun. In 2020, Kali married her wife, Sarah. They now reside in Oak Park, happily a part of their community. While Sarah works as a therapist, Kali runs her own business as a storyteller. Over her years of performance, Kali became a known fundraiser and supporter of transgender and LGBTQIA+ rights and organizations. It was people in her own community who encouraged her to get involved in politics, and she joined the Oakland County Democratic Party in January of 2025.Since then, she has served on the Resolutions Committee for the 2025 convention, where she got a resolution in support of trans rights and dignity passed unanimously. She is also the chair of the LGBTQIA+ Rights committee for the OCDP. All of these experiences have helped to shape Kali as someone who believes, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that everyone is entitled to life, liberty, and their pursuit of happiness. She believes that the exact purpose of government is to protect the meek from the powerful, and that there can be no true equality without equity.

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