Sarah Peters is an American politician and environmental engineer serving as a member of the
Nevada Assembly. Peters represents the 24th district, which includes
Downtown Reno, Nevada.
After graduating from college, Peters worked as an engineering intern. In 2015, she became a certified
environmental manager.[4] Peters was elected to the
Nevada Assembly, defeating three Democratic opponents in the 2018 primary, including one challenger who was supported by the Nevada Assembly
Democratic caucus and
marijuana industry.[5][6] She took office on November 7, 2018 after receiving 16,000 votes and facing no challenger.[7] She stated that in the 2019 legislative session she would focus on
indigenous rights, environmental issues, and
healthcare.[4]
A day after she came out publicly as pansexual, Peter she presented a
bill that would require "all single-occupancy public restrooms be
gender-neutral".[8] She has also introduced legislation that she describes as strengthening
indigenous sovereignty rights within
tribal jurisdictions.[9] She sponsored a piece of legislation which made
neon the official
element of Nevada and encouraged state residents to enroll in
health insurance programs.[10][11] Other bills she has co-sponsored include making "all marijuana testing data" publicly available through a searchable database, strengthening
voting rights, and supported an effort which opposed the
United States Air Force's acquisition of 1.1 million acres in the
Desert National Wildlife Refuge for a
bombing range.[12][13][14] She is the vice chair of the Health and Human Services committee and sits on two other committees.[15][16][17]
Peters is one of three openly pansexual legislators in the United States, along with
Mary Gonzalez of Texas and
Lisa Bunker of New Hampshire.[25] Additionally, she is the first lawmaker in Nevada that identifies as pansexual.[26]