WASHINGTON – More LGBTQ+ people are among the ranks of elected officials taking their places in the halls of power this year. LGBTQ+ Victory Fund reports a net gain of 107 LGBTQ+ elected officials nationwide in office in 2025.
The new class of elected officials includes many historic firsts, and the election increased amounts of LGBTQ+ people elected to school board, state legislatures and in Southern states. At least 495 LGBTQ+ candidates won their races – nearly half of the 1,017 known LGBTQ+ candidates who ran in 2024 – according to campaign data collected by LGBTQ+ Victory Fund.
“Our mission is to increase representation at all levels of government, not just to make history, but to make progress for our community,” said LGBTQ+ Victory Fund President & CEO Annise Parker. “The LGBTQ+ elected officials entering office have an important charge ahead of them. We will be here to support these leaders as they take their places on the frontlines of the fight for equality and work to make our country a better place for everyone.”
U.S. Reps. Sarah McBride, Julie Johnson and Emily Randall each made history when they were sworn in on Capitol Hill on January 3. The 119th congress has 12 out LGBTQ+ members of the House – its highest count ever – and Sen. Tammy Baldwin is the Senate’s lone LGBTQ+ member. At the statewide level, Oregon elected its first LGBTQ+ treasurer, Dr. Elizabeth Steiner. Washington state also elected its first statewide LGBTQ+ official, Dave Upthegrove, to serve as Commissioner of Public Lands.
70% percent of LGBTQ+ Victory Fund’s endorsed candidates won their races including at least 25 school board members and 168 state legislators. Eleven states will have increased LGBTQ+ state legislative representation at a time when their presence can help determine the future of LGBTQ+ equality, with a net gain of 21 new LGBTQ+ legislators in 2025. Wisconsin added seven new LGBTQ+ representatives to their state legislature and Iowa, Hawaii and Missouri elected their first trans or non-binary state legislative representation: Aime Wichtendahl, Kim Coco Iwamoto and Wick Thomas, respectively.
“State legislatures are a key battleground for LGBTQ+ rights and bodily autonomy for all,” said Sean Meloy, Vice President of Political Programs for LGBTQ+ Victory Fund. “Having representation in all of these houses of power ensures that we have input in the lawmaking process and ensures our voices are heard when decisions are made.”
LGBTQ+ Victory Fund staff contributed more than 700 hours of service to LGBTQ+ candidates, including on-the-ground support to 47 campaigns across 17 states over the course of the cycle. LGBTQ+ Victory Fund raised and invested more than $1.6 million in campaigns in 2024 from LGBTQ+ Victory Fund and its supporters.
About LGBTQ+ Victory Fund
LGBTQ+ Victory Fund works to achieve and sustain equality by increasing the number of out LGBTQ+ elected officials at all levels of government while ensuring they reflect the diversity of those they serve. Since 1991, Victory Fund has helped thousands of LGBTQ+ candidates win local, state and federal elections.
