Transgender Okla. City officer to seek House post

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) – A transgender Oklahoma City police officer who engaged in a legal battle with the department a decade ago has retired from the force and plans to run for an open seat in the Oklahoma House of Representatives.

Democrat Paula Sophia said she plans to file paperwork on Thursday to be a candidate for House District 88 in central Oklahoma City that includes trendy areas like Heritage Hills and the Midtown and Plaza districts.

A U.S. Army veteran of Desert Storm who joined the Oklahoma City Police Department in 1992, Sophia retired from the department on Monday so she could run for office.

Sophia was engaged in a legal battle with the city after becoming a woman in 2001, but ultimately returned to the force.