Today LGBTQ Victory Fund endorsed 18 more openly LGBTQ candidates for 2020 races. Among the endorsees is Marko Liias, running for Lieutenant Governor of Washington, who was made a Game Changer* candidate and would be the first openly LGBTQ statewide executive elected in Washington. David Sokup, who was already endorsed in his race for the Minnesota state Senate, was made a Spotlight** candidate. He would be the first openly trans man ever elected to a state legislature in the United States if he wins his race in November.
LGBTQ Victory Fund has endorsed 186 openly LGBTQ candidates so far this cycle.
“Although traditional campaign strategies have been upended by the pandemic facing the United States and the world, an unprecedented number of LGBTQ candidates are running for office and finding new ways to reach voters in their communities,” said Mayor Annise Parker, President & CEO of Victory Fund. “We can double the number of LGBTQ members of Congress, elect history-making trans candidates to state legislatures, and put LGBTQ people in high-level positions in states across the nation. We are on-track to elect more openly LGBTQ people than ever before in 2020 – and our nation will be better off because of it.”
The complete list of candidate endorsements announced today is below:
2020 Spotlight Candidate Endorsement (Previously Endorsed):
Davin Sokup
Minnesota State Senate, District 20
Primary: 8/11/20 General: 11/3/20
2020 Game Changer Endorsement:
Marko Liias
Lieutenant Governor of Washington
Primary: 8/4/20 General: 11/3/20
2020 General Candidate Endorsements:
Kelly Boyer
New Hampshire Executive Council, District 4
Primary: 9/8/20 General: 11/3/20
Jabari Brisport
New York State Senate, District 25
Primary: 6/23/20 General: 11/3/20
Madeline Eden
Texas House of Representatives, District 17
Primary: 3/3/20 General: 11/3/20
Julie Jordan
Georgia House of Representatives, District 179
Primary: 5/19/20 General: 11/3/20
Alex Lee
California State Assembly, District 25
Primary: 3/3/20 General: 11/3/20
Ryan Moore
Eugene (OR) City Council, Ward 8
Primary: 5/19/20 General: 11/3/20
Steve Remming
South Plainfield (NJ) Borough Council, At-Large
Primary: 6/3/20 General: 11/3/20
Curt Thompson
Gwinnet County (GA) Commission Chair
Primary: 5/19/20 Primary Runoff: 7/21/20 General: 11/3/20
Peter Yacobellis
Montclair (NJ) Township Council, At-Large
General: 5/12/20
2020 Game Changer Incumbents:
David Cicilline
US House of Representatives, RI-01
Primary: 9/8/20 General: 11/3/20
Mark Takano
US House of Representatives, CA-41
Primary: 3/3/20 General: 11/3/20
2020 General Incumbents:
Kelly Cassidy
Illinois House of Representatives, District 14
Primary: 3/17/20 General: 11/3/20
Bevan Dufty
BART Director, District 9 (San Francisco, CA)
General Election: 11/3/20
Jessica Gonzalez
Texas House of Representatives, District 104
Primary: 3/3/20 General: 11/3/20
Natalie Higgins
Massachusetts House of Representatives, 4th Worcester District
Primary: 9/1/20 General: 11/3/20
Allison Ikley-Freeman
Oklahoma State Senate, District 37
Primary: 6/30/20 General: 11/3/20
Mark Spreitzer
Wisconsin State Assembly, District 45
Primary: 8/11/20 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.
*Game Changer candidates are federal or statewide candidates with the potential to have an enormous impact on their constituents. Game Changer candidates received 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. Spotlight candidates received additional Victory Fund resources to support their campaigns.
