Dina Nina Martinez-Rutherford

Early life and comedy career Born in May 1970, Martinez-Rutherford grew up in Texas. In her early adulthood, she was a small group pastor for non-denominational evangelical churches. She moved to California in the early 2000s, where she began her career as a stand-up comic, and began her gender transition in 2007.

Martinez-Rutherford moved to Madison, Wisconsin in 2012. In 2015, she founded Lady Laughs Comedy, a production company that runs an annual comedy festival in Madison and offers classes in stand-up comedy. On April 4, 2023, she was elected to the council by a narrow 54-vote margin, becoming the first openly transgender woman elected to public office in Wisconsin.

Martinez-Rutherford launched a re-election campaign in the 2025 spring election. Prior to Election Day, she withdrew from the race to recover from a surgery, but her name remained on the ballot due to state statute. Following her withdrawal, she endorsed her opponent, Ryan Koglin. Despite her withdrawal, she won 51% of the vote on April 1, 2025, then decided to accept her re-election, remaining in office.

Martinez-Rutherford ran in and won the Democratic primary for the Wisconsin State Assembly in the 2026 election, for the 76th district. The seat is open after incumbent Francesca Hong announced her candidacy for governor. Out of a field of five candidates on the primary ballot, Martinez-Rutherford placed first with 6,170 votes, or 29.4% of the electorate.

Electoral history

Madison Common Council (2023, 2025)