More LGBTQ candidates won than in any other odd-numbered election year
Washington, DC – While returns continue coming in, election results so far indicate a strong night for LGBTQ candidates, with 80 Victory Fund endorsed LGBTQ candidates winning their races as of November 6th at 12:40am ET. Twelve races remain undecided and three are heading to runoffs. There were 111 Victory Fund endorsed candidates on the ballot Tuesday night – the most ever in an odd-numbered election year. View the latest updates on candidate races at victoryfund.org/results2019.
Tomorrow, Victory Fund will release a breakdown of how all openly LGBTQ candidates fared in elections Tuesday night, including openly LGBTQ candidates not endorsed by Victory Fund.
Victory Fund invested more than $420,000 in its endorsed LGBTQ candidates this cycle, including $370,000 raised directly for their campaigns. In total, Victory Fund endorsed 176 candidates throughout 2019 and 29 of them won their races earlier in the year. Including candidates who won tonight, 108 Victory Fund endorsed candidates have won in 2019 (not including runoffs and undecideds). There are currently 765 openly LGBTQ elected officials nationwide.
Below is a statement from Mayor Annise Parker, President & CEO of LGBTQ Victory Fund, on tonight’s wins, as well as demographic and other information on the 80 Victory Fund endorsed candidates who won their races tonight.
Statement from Mayor Annise Parker, President & CEO of LGBTQ Victory Fund
“From state legislatures to city councils to school boards, LGBTQ candidates are winning in regions and in numbers unimaginable even a decade ago. Anti-LGBTQ attacks on our candidates almost universally backfired. LGBTQ candidates won in battleground districts within battleground states. And as LGBTQ candidates continue to prove their electability in every corner of the country, more will be inspired to run and win.
“Americans are understandably focused on the 2020 presidential and congressional elections, but the LGBTQ candidates who won tonight will arguably have a greater impact on the everyday lives of their constituents. The LGBTQ candidates who were elected to school boards are our future state legislators. And those who won state legislative races are our future U.S. Congressmembers and our future governors. We are building a pipeline of out LGBTQ leaders at every level of government so we can advance equality today, and so we are positioned to run for higher-level offices in greater numbers tomorrow.”
Breakdown of LGBTQ Candidate Victories by Demographic and Other Information
Gender Identity
- 28 women;
- 46 men;
- 5 trans women; and
- 1 qenderqueer/non-binary gender non-conforming.
Sexual Orientation
- 7 bisexual;
- 46 gay;
- 20 lesbian;
- 1 pansexual; and
- 6 queer.
Position Level
- 4 for mayor;
- 5 for state legislature;
- 70 for local office; and
- 1 for judicial positions.
Incumbency
- 42 incumbents; and
- 38 non-incumbents.
Party Affiliation
- 74 Democrats;
- 1 Republican;
- 1 Independent; and
- 4 unaffiliated or unknown.
State Equality Levels (as defined by Movement Advancement Project)
- High-equality states: 31
- Medium-equality states: 17
- Low-equality states: 31
- Negative-equality states: 1
Live Election Night Results: Victory Fund is live tracking the election results for its 111 openly LGBTQ endorsed candidates. The latest updates can be found at victoryfund.org/results2019.
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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.
