More than 1,000 lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender candidates ran for elected office this year, vying for seats in Congress, the state legislature and various local races in nearly every state. While some of these races have yet to be called, hundreds of queer candidates have emerged victorious since Friday, including many who have made history.
At least 1,017 LGBTQ candidates ran for office this year, a 1.1% increase compared to 2020, according to the LGBTQ+ Victory Fund, a political organization that identifies and supports LGBTQ candidates for elected office. Of the total LGBTQ candidates, 668 made it to the general election.
More than 90% of the total candidates were Democrats, and they ran in every state except Nebraska, scoring victories in at least 40 states, along with Puerto Rico and Washington, D.C., the organization found. This year’s LGBTQ candidate pool was also more diverse than ever, with 37.6% of candidates being LGBTQ people of color and 15.2% non-cisgender.
The LGBTQ+ Victory Fund supported and followed 477 of the LGBTQ candidates who made it to the general election. As of Friday afternoon, about three-quarters of those races had been called, with LGBTQ candidates having a pass rate of about 80%.
“Candidates generally performed very well on election night, with historic firsts in many key races and increasing representation in the U.S. House and maintaining their presence in the U.S. Senate,” Sean Meloy, vice president of political programs for the LGBTQ+ Victory Fund, to NBC News. “These victories are encouraging, especially as their votes in the federal government will be critical under the next administration.”
Seventeen LGBTQ congressional candidates were present in the general election. As of Friday, twelve were won, three were lost (including the only Republican) and two are not yet known. Three of the winning candidates for the House of Representatives were historic firsts for Congress: Sarah McBride of Delaware became the first transgender person elected, Julie Johnson of Texas became the first LGBTQ person from the South to be elected, and Emily Randall of Washington became the first chosen queer Latina. Tammy Baldwin, who in 2013 became the first gay person to serve in the Senate, won a tough reelection battle in Wisconsin and will be the only LGBTQ senator in January, with Arizona’s Kyrsten Sinema and California’s Laphonza Butler not seeking reelection . -election.
According to the LGBTQ+ Victory Fund, LGBTQ candidates won elections for at least 37 state legislatures this year, and several of those were historic firsts. Three state legislatures – those of Hawaii, Iowa and Missouri – will welcome their first trans members with Kim Coco Iwamoto, Aime Wichtendahl and Wick Thomas, respectively. Iwamoto and Thomas are the first transgender people elected to statewide office in their states.
Rashaun Kemp will be the first gay Black man in the Georgia Legislature, and Amaad Rivera-Wagner will be the first Black LGBTQ member of the Wisconsin State Assembly. Molly Cook, the first LGBTQ member of the Texas Senate, who took office in May, won her election to continue serving as well.
At least a dozen LGBTQ judges will also be sent to the court, providing representation for years to come, when many anti-transgender laws could come before the courts.
In an election where anti-trans ads were on the airwaves and many Republicans, including President-elect Donald Trump, turned to anti-trans rhetoric during the campaign, at least 34 trans candidates won their elections, according to the LGBTQ+ Victory. Fund.
Meloy points to Wisconsin as an example of voters rejecting anti-trans political rhetoric. Baldwin’s Republican challenger, Eric Hovde, and his supporters have spent more than $20 million on anti-trans political ads targeting Baldwin, according to data shared with NBC News by AdImpact. Hovde’s campaign also ran a slew of TV ads drawing attention to Baldwin’s sexuality, repeatedly mentioning her girlfriend, Maria Brisbane.
“Our candidates are connecting with voters despite the rhetoric because their focus is on serving their communities,” Meloy said. “They have the skills, knowledge and experience to win and voters recognized that. It is hopeful to see this, especially in the context of the overall 2024 results.”
Most LGBTQ victories have come at the local level as mayors, justices of the peace, city and town council members, school board members, city and county clerks, commissioners, accountants, tax collectors, treasurers and members of various local governments.
There are currently at least 1,273 LGBTQ elected officials in the U.S. — but according to the LGBTQ+ Victory Institute, this represents just 0.24% of all elected officials. With LGBTQ people making up an estimated 7.6% of the U.S. adult population, that percentage is disproportionately low, according to the latest Gallup poll.
Yet the steadily growing grassroots representation continues the trend of the number of LGBTQ elected officials growing every year. That representation will be critical under a Republican-controlled federal government, according to Meloy.
“Having LGBTQ+ candidates in the halls of power will be critical in helping protect and uphold pro-equality values,” Meloy said. “The history we have made in states across the country, and for our nation, will have a long-lasting impact for generations to come.”
This article was originally published on NBCNews.com
