Riverdale woman victorious in court ruling

The Georgia Supreme Court found a transgender Riverdale City Council candidate did not mislead voters when she ran as a woman last November.

The court unanimously ruled in favor of Michelle Bruce on Monday.

“This is a great victory for me and anyone who believes in equality,” Bruce said in a statement. “It gives me hope that the Georgia Supreme Court did what was right and did not buy into hate-based politics. I still have a dream to serve my community and I’m not giving up.”

Two unsuccessful City Council candidates, Georgia Fuller and Stan Harris, filed suit against Bruce and the city of Riverdale last year. Fuller and Stan accused Bruce of lying to voters when she ran as a woman and Riverdale City Clerk Stephanie Thomas of tampering with voting machines.

Monday, Supreme Court Justice Hugh Thompson wrote that the candidates did not produce any evidence of “fraud, misconduct, irregularity or illegality.”

In their suit, Fuller and Harris allege Bruce’s name is Michael Bruce. Their attorney, new Clayton County school board member Michael King, argued that Bruce’s birth certificate lists her as Mickey Dwayne Bruce and a man.

Bruce, who identifies herself as transgender and a woman, said she changed her name in Clayton County Superior Court in 1980 to Mickey Michelle Bruce and goes by Michelle Mickey Bruce.

Fuller and Harris had asked the court to overturn the November election and halt a December runoff. The two went to the Supreme Court after a Spalding County Superior Court judge threw out the suit, allowing the runoff to be held.

Bruce, who was elected to the Riverdale City Council in 2004, lost her bid for a second term to Atlanta firefighter Wayne Hall.