Victory Fund releases demographic and other data on the 382 openly LGBTQ people who ran for office in 2019
Washington, DC – More openly LGBTQ candidates won elected office in 2019 than in any other odd-numbered election year in United States history. As of November 6, at 1:30pm ET, a total of 144 openly LGBTQ candidates won election out of the 382 known openly LGBTQ candidates who ran throughout the year. Last night alone, 99 of the 200 known openly LGBTQ candidates on the ballot won their races – with six still undecided and six candidates heading to a runoff. Of the 382 known openly LGBTQ candidates who ran in 2019, 176 were endorsed by LGBTQ Victory Fund.
Below are key takeaways and a demographic and informational breakdown of the 382 openly LGBTQ candidates who ran in 2019 – looking at sexual orientation, gender identity, race/ethnicity, incumbency, office level, party affiliation, equality levels of the states they ran in, and whether they won or lost. A statement from Mayor Annise Parker, President & CEO of LGBTQ Victory Fund, is also included below. The most up-to-date information on the state of the races for candidates endorsed by Victory Fund can be found at victoryfund.org/results2019.
Among the key takeaways from the new data:
- 49.5 percent of known openly LGBTQ candidates won their races Tuesday night, and 73.9 percent of Victory Fund endorsed candidates were successful;
- 37.7 percent of known openly LGBTQ candidates won their races throughout 2019 (including Tuesday night), and 63.1 percent of Victory Fund endorsed candidates were successful;
- In 2019, LGBTQ men ran in much higher numbers than LGBTQ women, yet the women candidates won at a higher rate (46.2 percent to 36.9 percent);
- 56.3 percent of known out trans women who ran for office in 2019 won their races;
- 29.1 percent of LGBTQ candidates who ran in 2019 were people of color and 34.2 percent won their races;
- In 2019, 83.2 percent of LGBTQ candidates ran as Democrats and 40.3 percent won, whereas 2.4 percent of LGBTQ candidates ran as Republicans and just 33.3 percent won;
- 40 percent of candidates who ran in 2019 were in states considered low or negative-equality states by the Movement Advancement Project,* and 35.5 percent won their races.
Statement from Mayor Annise Parker, President & CEO of LGBTQ Victory Fund
“By knocking on doors and speaking to the issues most pressing in their communities, LGBTQ candidates are winning elections in numbers and in parts of the country thought unthinkable a decade or two ago,” said Mayor Annise Parker, President & CEO of LGBTQ Victory Fund. “LGBTQ people are in every community – we are people of color, women, immigrants, and people with disabilities – and we come from families both liberal and conservative. This beautiful diversity provides an opportunity to connect on some level with every single voter in America. That is the reason LGBTQ candidates are winning in unprecedented numbers, and this will only accelerate in the years ahead.”
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LGBTQ Victory Fund
LGBTQ Victory Fund works to change the face and voice of America’s politics and achieve equality for LGBTQ Americans by increasing the number of openly LGBTQ elected officials at all levels of government.
