Five candidates are designated Spotlight Candidates
Washington, DC – Today LGBTQ Victory Fund, the only national organization dedicated to electing LGBTQ leaders to public office, endorsed 42 new openly LGBTQ candidates for 2020 races – including local and new state legislative candidates who can break new ground in their chambers. More than 700 openly LGBTQ people are running for office this year – the most in history – and Victory Fund has endorsed 168 of them so far.
Five candidates were awarded Spotlight Candidate status, which releases additional Victory Fund resources to support their campaigns. Spotlight Candidates are chosen because they are running to be a historic first, challenging an anti-LGBTQ opponent, or running for a high-level local or state position. New endorsees who received Spotlight Candidate endorsements include:
- Brett Burman, running for Pennsylvania state Senate, who would become the first openly LGBTQ state senator in Pennsylvania;
- Stephanie Byers, running for the Kansas state House, who would become the first openly trans person elected to that state legislature or any state legislature in the Midwest; and
- Dave Coulter, running for Oakland County Executive, who would hold the third most powerful elected position in Michigan if elected.
Previously endorsed candidates who were upgraded to Spotlight Candidate status include:
- Kristen Browde, running for New York State Assembly, would be the first openly trans person elected in New York state.
- Ann Johnson, running for Texas state House, would be key to winning a pro-equality majority in the state House, a hotbed for anti-LGBTQ legislation.
All today’s endorsees are listed below.
Mayor Annise Parker, President & CEO of LGBTQ Victory Fund, released the following statement about the endorsements:
“We are witnessing a Rainbow Revolution in American politics – with an unprecedented number of LGBTQ candidates running in parts of the country and for high-level positions thought unthinkable just a decade ago. We can double the number of LGBTQ members of Congress, elect more trans candidates to state legislatures, and elect two big city mayors in San Diego and Baltimore. It is a promising year for our movement and for our country – and we are on-track to elect more openly LGBTQ people than at any other time in history.”
The complete list of candidate endorsements announced today is below:
2020 Spotlight Candidate Endorsements (Not Previously Endorsed):
Brett Burman
Pennsylvania State Senate, District 9
Primary: 4/28/20 General: 11/3/20
Stephanie Byers
Kansas House of Representatives, District 86
Primary: 8/4/20 General: 11/3/20
Dave Coulter
Oakland County (MI) Executive
Primary: 8/4/20 General: 11/3/20
2020 Spotlight Candidate Endorsements (Previously Endorsed):
Kristen Browde
New York State Assembly, District 93
Primary: 6/23/20 General: 11/3/20
Ann Johnson
Texas House of Representatives, District 134
Primary: 3/3/20 General: 11/3/20
2020 General Candidate Endorsements:
Selena Alvarenga
District Court Judge, 460th Judicial District (TX)
Primary: 3/3/20 General: 11/3/20
Kevin Beckner
Hillsborough County (FL) Clerk of the Circuit Court
Primary: 3/17/20 General: 11/3/20
Mary Carmack-Altwies
Santa Fe (NM) District Attorney
Primary: 6/2/20 General: 11/3/20
Casey Clowes
Tempe (AZ) City Council, At-Large
General: 3/10/20
Ty Cratic
Illinois House of Representatives, District 9
Primary: 3/17/20 General: 11/3/20
Piper Crowell
Mayor of Portland
Primary: 5/19/20 General: 11/3/20
Lyn Franks
Alaska House of Representatives, District 15
Primary: 8/18/2020 General: 11/3/2020
Ravi Grivois-Shah
Tuscon (AZ) Unified School District, At-Large
General: 11/3/20
Sonya Jaquez Lewis
Colorado State Senate, District 17
Primary: 3/17/20 General: 11/3/20
Brendan Johnson
Michigan House of Representatives, District 45
Primary: 8/4/20 General: 11/3/20
Audra Killingsworth
Wake County (NC) Board of Commissioners
Primary: 3/3/20 General: 11/3/20
Virginia Korte
Mayor of Scottsdale (AZ)
Primary: 8/4/20 General: 11/3/20
Kevin Kresch
Michigan House of Representatives, District 27
Primary: 8/4/20 General: 11/3/20
Jody LaMacchia
Michigan House of Representatives, District 46
Primary: 8/4/20 General: 11/3/20
Kate Lieber
Oregon State Senate, District 14
Primary: 5/19/20 General: 11/3/20
Mary Catherine Marubio
Circuit Court Judge of Cook County (IL), 10th Judicial Subcircuit
Primary: 3/17/20 General: 11/3/20
Andi Overton
Mayor of Hagerstown
Primary: 4/28/20 General: 11/3/20
Greg Razer
Missouri State Senate, District 7
Primary: 8/4/20 General: 11/3/20
Joy Silver
California State Senate, District 28
General: 3/3/20 Runoff: 5/12/20
Dan Smith Jr.
Pennsylvania House of Representatives, District 12
Primary: 4/28/20 General: 11/3/20
Rebecca “Puck” Stair
New Mexico State Senate, District 20
Primary: 6/2/20 General: 11/3/20
Brad Trowbridge
Circuit Court Judge of Cook County (IL), 8th Judicial Subcircuit
Primary: 3/17/20 General: 11/3/20
Jenna Wadsworth
North Carolina Commissioner of Agriculture
Primary: 3/3/20 General: 11/3/20
Jocasta Zamarripa
Milwaukee Common Council, District 8
Primary: 2/18/20 General: 11/3/20
2020 Game Changer Incumbent:
Sean Patrick Maloney
US House of Representatives, NY-18
Primary: 4/28/20 General: 11/3/20
2020 General Incumbents:
Christopher Constant
Anchorage (AK) Assembly Member, District 1 – Downtown Anchorage
General: 4/7/20
Jimmy Flannigan
Austin (TX) City Council, District 6
General: 11/3/20
Michael Forti
Circuit Court Judge of Cook County (IL), 8th Judicial Subcircuit
Primary: 3/17/20 General: 11/3/20
Mary González
Texas House of Representatives, District 75
Primary: 3/3/20 General: 11/3/20
Greg Harris
Illinois House of Representatives, District 13
Primary: 3/17/20 General: 11/3/20
Daryl Moore
Harris County (TX) District Court Judge, 333rd Civil District
Primary: 3/3/20 General: 11/3/20
Rob Nosse
Oregon House of Representatives, District 42
Primary: 5/19/20 General: 11/3/20
Joshua Query
New Hampshire House of Representatives, Hillsborough 16
Primary: 9/8/20 General: 11/3/20
Austin Quinn-Davidson
Anchorage (AK) Assembly Member, District 3 – West Anchorage
General: 4/7/20
Christopher Schwartz
County Supervisor-Black Hawk County (IA), At-Large
Primary: 6/2/20 General: 11/3/20
Ethan Sweep
Town of Berwyn Heights (MD)
General: 5/5/20
Alex Valdez
Colorado House of Representatives, District 5
Primary: 6/23/2020 General: 11/3/2020
Shanell Williams
San Francisco City College Board of Trustees, At-Large
Primary: 3/3/20 General: 11/3/20
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.
