Today LGBTQ Victory Fund endorsed 25 more openly LGBTQ candidates for 2020 races. Among the new endorsees are 16 state legislative candidates that are critical to our efforts to elect a historic number of state legislators this year.
Receiving a Game Changer endorsement is Debbie Ingram of Vermont – who will become the first openly LGBTQ woman lieutenant governor in U.S. history if elected. Candidates that received Spotlight endorsements include:
- Adrian Tam, running for Hawaii House of Representatives. He will be the only openly LGBTQ elected official in the state if elected.
- Gia Drew, running for Maine House of Representatives. She will be the first out trans member of the Maine state legislature if elected.
- Carrie Hamblen, running for New Mexico state Senate. She is running to unseat the anti-choice Senate President Pro Tem of the New Mexico state Senate.
- Jimmy Zorrilla, running for Puerto Rico House of Representatives. He will be the first openly LGBTQ member of the Puerto Rico state legislature if elected.
Previously endorsed candidates Javier Estevez and Ricky Junquera – both running for the Florida House of Representatives – were upgraded to Spotlight endorsements. Both candidates are critical to ending the anti-LGBTQ majority in the Florida state House.
“An unprecedented number of LGBTQ candidates are running for office this cycle, which provides us the opportunity to elect a historic number come November,” said Mayor Annise Parker, President & CEO of LGBTQ Victory Fund. “We are intensely focused on state legislative candidates in particular – as LGBTQ people are running for key seats that can block the flood of anti-LGBTQ bills and determine control of state legislative chambers. Our LGBTQ candidates can have an enormous impact on American politics in 2020. If they win, the country will be better off for it.”
This latest slate brings our endorsements to 240 for the 2020 election cycle. We expect to endorse more than 300 candidates this year – the most in our 29-year history.
The complete list of candidate endorsements announced today is below:
Game Changer Candidate Endorsement:
Debbie Ingram
Lieutenant Governor of Vermont
Primary: 8/11/20 General: 11/3/20
Spotlight Candidate Endorsements:
Gia Drew
Maine House of Representatives, District 9
Primary: 7/14/20 General 11/3/20
Carrie Hamblen
New Mexico State Senate, District 38
Primary: 6/2/20 General 11/3/20
Adrian Tam
Hawaii House of Representatives, District 22
Primary: 8/8/20 General: 11/3/20
Jimmy Zorrilla
Puerto Rico House of Representatives, Precinct 3
Primary: 8/9/20 General: 11/3/20
Previously Endorsed Candidates Upgraded to Spotlight Endorsements:
Javier Estevez
Florida House of Representatives, District 105
Primary: 8/18/20 General 11/3/20
Ricky Junquera
Florida House of Representatives, District 118
Primary: 8/18/20 General 11/3/20
General Candidate Endorsements:
Paty Baca
Texas 346th District Court
General: 11/3/20
Kyle Bailey
Maine House of Representatives, District 27
Primary: 7/14/20 General 11/3/20
Garrett Blad
Indiana House of Representatives, District 6
Primary: 6/2/20 General 11/3/20
Julie Carson
Mayor of Wilton Manors, FL
General: 11/3/20
Marco Giron
Miami-Dade County Community Council 5, Subarea 53
General: 8/18/20
Ashley Klein
Indiana House of Representatives, District 39
Primary: 6/2/20 General: 11/3/20
Tara Clark Newberry
Nevada 8th Judicial District Court, Department 21
Primary: 6/9/20 General 11/3/20
Laurie Osher
Maine House of Representatives, District 123
Primary: 7/14/20 General 11/3/20
Kristen Powers
Alamance County (NC) Board of Commissioners
Primary: 3/3/20 General: 11/3/20
Matthew Taylor
Sunnyside (AZ) Unified School District, At-large
General: 11/3/20
Kyle Thorson
North Dakota State Senate, District 18
Primary: 6/9/20 General: 11/3/20
2020 Incumbent Endorsements:
Liz Bennett
Iowa House of Representatives, District 65
Primary: 6/2/20 General: 11/3/20
Julian Cyr
Massachusetts State Senate, Cape and Island District
Primary: 9/1/20 General: 11/3/20
Eileen Duff
Massachusetts Governor’s Executive Council, District 5
Primary: 9/1/20 General: 11/3/20
Nicole Macri
Washington House of Representatives, District 43, Position 1
Primary: 8/4/20 General: 11/3/20
Robert Meza
Arizona House of Representatives, District 30
Primary: 8/4/20 General: 11/3/20
Katie Scott
Washtenaw County (MI) Board of Commissioners, District 9
Primary: 8/4/20 General: 11/3/20
Pat Spearman
Nevada State Senate, District 1
General: 11/3/20
Arlando Teller
Arizona House of Representatives, District 7
Primary: 8/4/20 General: 11/3/20
