Candidates are carbon copies — well, not exactly

Sandy Politician Trisha Beck has a lot in common with her much-publicized opponent in the race to win the Democratic Party's nomination for the Senate District 9 race in Sandy.

Both turn 54 in 2006, both have six children, both once ran unsuccessfully for mayor against incumbent Sandy Mayor Tom Dolan, both have served previously as elected officials, both used to be Republicans and are now Democrats (Beck was never a registered Republican, but she voted that way) and both are women.

But unlike Jennifer Lee Jackson, Trisha Beck wasn't once a man.

"Never had any interest in it," she said when asked if she's ever felt any transgender urges.

During the first 51 years of her life, when she was a husband and father and was known as Ken Prince, Jackson did feel such urges. Three years ago, she underwent a sex-change operation and legally changed her name. The switch remained largely private until last month when Ken Prince's old political impulses found they knew no gender bounds and Jenni Jackson threw her hat in the ring for the state Senate.

Plenty of publicity followed, including a story about Jackson in this column.

It only seemed right to give Jackson's challenger equal time since one or the other may move on in the Senate race after the Democrats meet and some 80 delegates elected at caucus meetings try to decide the party's lineup for the November elections.

"It surprised me to learn at the last minute that I had a challenger," admitted Beck, who said the Democrats came to her last year and encouraged her to consider getting back into politics after a four-year layoff.

It probably surprised her even more to learn at the last minute she had a challenger who is now a woman and used to be a man, but she was way too much the savvy politician to say that.

Beck said she doesn't wish to talk about Jackson's lifestyle choices at all, although she couldn't resist saying, "I understand Ken Prince was a very nice fellow; I didn't know Jenni when she was Ken."

She said she and Jackson had a face-to-face meeting shortly after both had registered that lasted about an hour.

"We had a very amicable conversation until near the end when she said, 'I suggest you get your ducks in order because I already have mine in order,' " remembered Beck. "If anything, that's forced me to get started working harder."