An unprecedented number of LGBTQ people have run for office throughout the 2018 election cycle – unleashing the potential for a Rainbow Wave of new openly LGBTQ elected officials at every level of government come November. The increase in candidates running is particularly noticeable for Congressional and gubernatorial positions, when analyzing candidates over the last five election cycles.
These high-level candidates are among the more than 430 openly LGBTQ people who ran for office at every level of government this cycle. At least 244 openly LGBTQ candidates are still in the race and will appear on general election ballots in November.
Among the main findings from the September 2018 research report:
- Twenty-one openly LGBTQ candidates won Democratic primaries for U.S. Senate or U.S. House in 2018, a 24 percent increase compared to 2016.
- The number of LGBTQ women-identified major party Congressional nominees skyrocketed 160 percent since 2016, the year which held the previous record.
- A record seven known LGBTQ candidates ran for governor during the 2018 election cycle and four received a major party nomination – a historic high.
- There are zero known LGBTQ Republican party nominees for U.S. Congress or governor this election cycle, the first time since 2010 there are no openly LGBTQ Republican Congressional candidates on the general election ballot.
By the Numbers: LGBTQ Major Party Nominees for U.S. Congress
Currently Senator Tammy Baldwin is the only openly LGBTQ person ever elected to the U.S. Senate and there are six openly LGBTQ members of the U.S. House.
