Mississippi could elect Fabian Nelson its first LGBTQ state legislator
Washington, DC – Today LGBTQ Victory Fund, the only national organization dedicated to electing LGBTQ leaders to public office, endorsed 28 more openly LGBTQ candidates for 2020 races. Victory Fund has now endorsed 310 candidates throughout the 2020 cycle, surpassing its previous endorsement record of 274 candidates set in 2018. There are more than 880 known openly LGBTQ candidates who ran or are running this year – the most in U.S. history.
Among the new slate are two candidates who received Spotlight Candidate endorsements: Fabian Nelson in his race for the Mississippi state House and Kristin Graziano in her race for sheriff of Charleston County, South Carolina. If elected, Nelson will be the first openly LGBTQ person elected to the Mississippi state legislature and Graziano will be one of just four openly LGBTQ elected officials in all of South Carolina.
Currently just five states have never elected an openly LGBTQ state legislator: Alaska, Delaware, Louisiana, Mississippi and Tennessee.
“A historic number of openly LGBTQ people are running for office this year, many in deep red states where LGBTQ candidates were struggling or non-existent just a few years ago,” said Mayor Annise Parker, President & CEO of LGBTQ Victory Fund. “The absence of LGBTQ leadership in these states has allowed anti-equality legislators to put forward bills and policies that harm our community and with no way to stop them. This year, we can change that by electing LGBTQ candidates who can block anti-LGBTQ bills, change the hearts and minds of colleagues, and ensure fairness and equality always have a voice. We have an unprecedented opportunity to increase LGBTQ representation in nearly every state – and I expect a Rainbow Wave of victories come November.”
The complete list of candidate endorsements announced today is below:
Spotlight Candidate Endorsements:
Kristin Graziano
Sheriff of Charleston County, SC
General 11/3/20
Fabian Nelson
Mississippi House of Representatives, District 22
Special: 9/22/20 Runoff: 10/6/20
General Candidate Endorsements:
Dan Arriola
Mayor of Tracy, CA
General: 11/3/20
Kate Bishop
Chula Vista (CA) Elementary School Board
General: 11/3/20
Craig Covey
Stark County (OH) Treasurer
General: 11/3/20
Meg E’amato
Corona (CA) City Council, District 3
General: 11/3/20
Nikki Fordey
New Hampshire House of Representatives, Hillsborough 20
Primary: 8/11/20 General 11/3/20
David Glidden
Vermont House of Representatives, Franklin-3-1 District
General 11/3/20
Amani Johnson
Southfield (MI) School Board
General: 11/3/20
Ryan Mello
Pierce County (WA) Council, District 4
General 11/3/20
Moira Nelson
Monmouth County (NJ) Board of Freeholders
General 11/3/20
Michael Penna
Monmouth County (NJ) Board of Freeholders
General: 11/3/20
Rebecca Perkins Kwoka
New Hampshire State Senate, District 21
Primary: 9/8/20 General 11/3/20
Alexsis Rodgers
Mayor of Richmond, VA
General 11/3/20 Runoff: TBD
Shaun Murphy-Lopez
Wisconsin State Assembly, District 49
General 11/3/20
Liz Sheehan
Lexington-Fayette (KY) Urban-County Council
General: 11/3/20
Jackie Smith
California State Assembly, District 6
General: 11/3/20
Bryce Stack
New Hampshire House of Representatives, Hillsborough 21
Primary: 9/8/20 General 11/3/20
Gretchen Van Ness
Massachusetts House of Representatives, 14th Suffolk
Primary: 9/1/20 General: 11/3/20
Peter Volosin
Roanoke (VA) City Council
General 11/3/20
Zach Zappone
Washington House of Representatives, District 6
General 11/3/20
Incumbent Candidate Endorsements:
Heather Carruthers
Monroe County (FL) Commissioner
General: 11/3/20
Amanda Estep-Burton
West Virginia House of Delegates, District 36
General: 11/3/20
Jim Oddie
Alameda (CA) City Council
General: 11/3/20
Lisa Schultz
New Mexico Third Judicial District Court
General: 11/3/20
Timothy Sweeney
Bristol (RI) Town Council
General: 11/3/20
Tom Temprano
San Francisco Community College Board
General: 11/3/20
Dean Trantalis
Mayor of Fort Lauderdale, FL
General: 11/3/20
More information about all of Victory Fund’s endorsed 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.
