Jess Helene Herbst (born October 14, 1958) is an American politician and transgender rights activist, who served as the mayor of New Hope, Texas, from May 2016 until May 2018. Herbst became the first openly transgender mayor in Texas in 2016 when the then-mayor suffered a heart attack and died days before the election, but still won, leaving the town without a mayor. Herbst, who was Mayor pro-tem, was then appointed to the position. Politics Herbst has lived in New Hope, Texas, since 1999. She previously served as alderman, road commissioner and mayor pro-tem. Herbst became mayor of the town, which has an aldermanic form of government, in May 2016 after the previous mayor died while seeking reelection. In an open letter to the town residents, Herbst came out as transgender on January 23, 2017. Herbst states the reaction to her coming out has been "overwhelmingly positive." Residents in the tiny town of New Hope voted out Mayor Jess Herbst on Saturday, May 5, 2018, preventing her from becoming the first openly transgender elected official in Texas. Herbst lost to Angel Hamm, the widow of the former mayor. Melissa Brown finished second in the race. Bathroom bill opposition In January 2017, Herbst criticized Texas Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick for supporting the controversial "bathroom bill", which would require Texas residents to use bathrooms according to their sex designation on their birth certificate. Herbst wrote "Mr. Patrick: Let me get this straight, are you saying that right now, without your bill being passed, anyone can assault someone in the bathroom without breaking the law? That's some kind of weird screwed-up loophole if so." She testified before the Texas Senate committee on State affairs against House Bill 6, also known as the Bathroom bill. The committee heard from over 1500 citizens who voiced 85% opposition to the bill. In spite of this they passed to bill on to the full senate which then passed it with little debate. Herbst returned to testify in the house hearing, waiting until 3:15am to give her testimony. Again the testimony was greater than 85% against. The House committee on State Affairs declined to vote, thus allowing the bill to die. Texas Lt. Governor Dan Patrick orchestrated a plan to force the issue by blocking critical spending legislation, thus forcing a special session. In July 2017 at a cost of an estimated $1 million to Texas tax payers,