Transgender House candidate faces unique ballot challenge
By AMY F. BAILEY
The Associated Press


LANSING, Mich. (AP) — Charles Staelens Jr. legally changed his name to Melissa Sue Robinson in 1998, a little more than year before he had a sex-change operation.

Since then, Robinson's ex-wife has moved in with Robinson's identical twin brother. The trio continues to spend time together.

Robinson may sound more like a candidate for the "The Jerry Springer Show" than a candidate for the Michigan House. But the Lansing resident — the first transgender person to run for the Legislature — not only is used to her story getting publicity, she sees it as a plus.

When she appeared in the pages of The National Enquirer early last year, "that helped me get my name out," she told The Associated Press in an interview.