Victory Fund endorsed more candidates in 2019 than in any other odd-numbered election year in its 28-year history
Washington, DC – Today LGBTQ Victory Fund, the only national organization dedicated to electing LGBTQ leaders to public office, endorsed 25 more openly LGBTQ candidates for 2019 and 2020. The organization has endorsed 177 candidates for 2019 – the most candidates ever in an odd-numbered election year – and 27 candidates for the 2020 election cycle so far. Victory Fund expects more openly LGBTQ candidates to run in 2020 than at any other time in U.S. history.
Among the 2019 endorsees are Kentucky State Treasurer candidate Michael Bowman, who will become the first openly LGBTQ person elected statewide in Kentucky if he wins, and Liz Breadon, who along with fellow Boston City Council candidate Alejandra St. Guillen could become the first openly LGBTQ women elected to the council.
Included in the 2020 endorsees are Toni Atkins, Susan Eggman and John Laird, all running for California state Senate. Atkins is the current President pro Tempore of the state Senate, Eggman a current state Assemblymember and Laird a former Assemblymember. California already has more openly LGBTQ elected officials than any other state in the nation.
“The number of viable LGBTQ candidates running for office continues to grow, with more people running in 2019 than in any odd-numbered election year in U.S. history,” said Mayor Annise Parker, President & CEO of LGBTQ Victory Fund. “On Election Day 2019, we expect history-making victories in municipalities across the nation – new mayors, city council members and school board members. And in 2020, LGBTQ candidates will run in unprecedented numbers for city councils, state legislatures and the U.S. Congress, leading to another Rainbow Wave on Election Day.”
The complete list of candidate endorsements announced today is below:
2019 Candidate Endorsements
Michael Bowman, Kentucky State Treasurer (General: 11/5/19)
Liz Breadon, Boston City Council, District 9 (General: 11/5/19)
2019 Incumbent Endorsements
Rich Rockwell, Bloomfield (NJ) Town Council, At-Large (General: 11/5/19)
Wartyna Davis, Bloomfield (NJ) Town Council, At-Large (General: 11/5/19)
Marcony Almeida-Barros, Everett (MA) School Committee, Ward 5 (General: 11/5/19)
2020 General Endorsement Candidates
Hunter Cain, Clark County (NV) Commissioner, District C (Primary: 6/9/20 General: 11/3/20)
Susan Eggman, California State Senate, District 5 (Primary: 3/3/20, General: 11/3/20)
John Laird, California State Senate, District 17 (Primary: 3/3/20, General: 11/3/20)
Jill Rose Quinn, Judge – Circuit Court of Cook County (IL), 10th Judicial Subcircuit (Primary: 3/17/20, General: 11/3/20)
Michael Weaver, Judge – Circuit Court of Cook County (IL), 9th Judicial Subcircuit (Primary: 3/17/20 General: 11/3/20)
2020 Incumbent Endorsements
Toni Atkins, California State Senate, District 39 (Primary: 3/3/20, General: 11/3/20)
Joshua Boschee, North Dakota House of Representatives, District 44 (Primary: 6/9/20, General: 11/3/20)
Deb Butler, North Carolina House of Representatives, District 18 (General: 11/3/20)
Andres Cano, Arizona House of Representatives, District 3 (Primary: 8/4/2020, General: 11/3/2020)
Dean Dafis, Maplewood (NJ) Township Committee (Primary: 6/2/20, General: 11/3/20)
Steve Hansen, Sacramento City Council, District 4 (Primary: 3/3/20, General: 11/3/20)
Kathleen James, Vermont House of Representatives, Bennington 4 (Primary: 8/11/20, General: 11/3/20)
Julie Johnson, Texas House of Representatives, District 115, (Primary: 3/3/20, General: 11/3/20)
Malcolm Kenyatta, Pennsylvania House of Representatives, District 181 (Primary: 4/28/20, General: 11/3/20)
Felix Rivera, Anchorage Municipal Assembly, District 4, Seat G, (General: 4/7/2020)
Deborah Ruggiero, Rhode Island House of Representatives, District 74 (Primary: 9/15/20, General: 11/3/20)
Daniel Sohn, Haverhill (FL) City Council, Seat 2 (General: 3/17/20)
Rene Spring, Morgan Hill (CA) City Council, District C (Primary: 3/3/20, General: 11/3/20)
Cody Thompson, West Virginia House of Representatives, District 43 (Primary: 5/12/20, General: 11/3/20)
Brandon Woodard, Kansas House of Representatives, District 30 (Primary: 8/4/20, General: 11/3/20)
This is Victory Fund’s tenth round of endorsements for the 2019 and 2020 election cycles. The organization has now endorsed 177 openly LGBTQ people across the country.
More information about the candidates is available at victoryfund.org/ourcandidates. Since 1991, Victory Fund has helped thousands of openly LGBTQ candidates win local, state and federal elections.
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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.
