Washington, DC – Tonight Nebraska voters made history in electing Megan Hunt, the first openly LGBTQ candidate ever elected to their state legislature. LGBTQ people are severely underrepresented in Nebraska government, with just four openly LGBTQ elected officials currently serving in the entire state. Before tonight, Nebraska was one of just seven states that had never elected an openly LGBTQ state legislator. Victory Fund made Hunt a “Spotlight” candidate and launched a $32,700 independent expenditure to elect her.
“Megan defied the odds and shattered a long-standing political barrier in Nebraska, becoming the first openly LGBTQ person ever elected to the state legislature,” said Mayor Annise Parker, President & CEO of LGBTQ Victory Fund. “Nebraska was one of the few states in the nation where LGBTQ people have never had a voice in their state government, depriving legislative debates of an LGBTQ perspective. This is a milestone moment for LGBTQ Nebraskans, but it was Megan’s values-driven agenda, not her sexual orientation, that won over voters on Election Day. Yet the openness about her life lent her an authenticity rarely found in politicians, and it clearly resonated with voters.”
Before tonight, only seven states had never elected an openly LGBTQ person to their state legislature: Alaska, Indiana, Kansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Nebraska and Tennessee.
Live Election Night Results: Victory Fund is live-tracking the election results for 225 of its openly LGBTQ endorsed candidates. The latest updates can be found at victoryfund.org/results2018.
Rainbow Wave by the Numbers: LGBTQ Victory Fund released several reports on the unprecedented Rainbow Wave of openly LGBTQ candidates who ran for office during the 2018 election cycle, including one reporting on the total number of candidates who ran, another looking at the total number of candidates by state, and one analyzing Congressional and gubernatorial nominees.
