Today LGBTQ Victory Fund endorsed 77 more openly LGBTQ candidates in an unprecedented year for LGBTQ political power. More than 1000 openly LGBTQ people ran or are running for office in 2020 and at least 574 LGBTQ candidates will appear on the ballot in November. Victory Fund has endorsed 387 LGBTQ candidates this election cycle – more than at any time in its 29-year history. This is Victory Fund’s last slate of endorsements for the 2020 cycle.
Among the slate are three newly endorsed candidates who received Spotlight Candidate endorsements:
- Jared Nieuwenhuis, running for the South Dakota state House, would become the first out gay man elected to the state legislature;
- David Ortiz, running for Colorado state House, would become the first person to use a wheelchair elected to the state legislature; and
- Louise Snodgrass, running for the South Dakota state House, would become one of the first out genderqueer members of a state legislature anywhere in the country.
Additionally, eight previously endorsed candidates were elevated to Spotlight Candidate status:
- Lyn Franks, running for the Alaska state House, would become the first openly LGBTQ person elected to the state legislature;
- Torrey Harris, running for the Tennessee state House, would join Brandon Thomas to become the first two openly LGBTQ people elected to the state legislature;
- Ashley Klein, running for the Indiana state House, would become the first openly LGBTQ woman elected to the state legislature;
- Jody LaMacchia, running for Michigan state House, would become the first openly LGBTQ woman elected to the state legislature;
- Marcia Morgan, running for the North Carolina state House, would become a key LGBTQ voice in the state legislature;
- Lorenzo Sanchez, running for the Texas state House, would become just the second openly gay man ever elected to the state legislature;
- Brandon Thomas, running for the Tennessee state House, would join Torrey Harris to become the first two openly LGBTQ people elected to the state legislature; and
- Brianna Titone, running for reelection to the Colorado state House, would continue to be one of the few out trans state legislators in the nation.
“A historic number of openly LGBTQ people are running for office this year and we have the opportunity to elect an unprecedented number on Election Day,” said Mayor Annise Parker, President & CEO of LGBTQ Victory Fund. “We can double the LGBTQ members of Congress, elect out LGBTQ state legislators in key states for the first time and elect the first out trans state senator in U.S. history. But this is not about breaking records or making history. When LGBTQ people are in the halls of power, it changes the hearts and minds of colleagues, transforms the legislative debates and leads to more inclusive legislation. LGBTQ elected officials advance equality and that is why we must secure a Rainbow Wave of LGBTQ victories in November.”
Victory Fund endorsed state legislative candidates in four of the five states that have never elected an out LGBTQ person to their state legislature: Alaska, Delaware, Mississippi and Tennessee. The fifth state, Louisiana, does not have state legislative elections this year. Sarah McBride, running for the Delaware state Senate, would become the first out trans state senator in the U.S. if elected.
Today Victory Fund also endorsed Elisa Crespo in her 2021 race for New York City Council.
The complete list of candidate endorsements announced today is below:
Spotlight Candidate Endorsements (Previously Unendorsed)
Jared Nieuwenhuis
South Dakota House of Representatives, District 25
David Ortiz
Colorado State House, District 38
Louise Snodgrass
South Dakota House of Representatives, District 7
Spotlight Candidate Endorsements (Previously Endorsed)
Lyn Franks
Alaska State House of Representatives, District 15
Torrey Harris
Tennessee House of Representatives, District 90
Ashley Klein
Indiana House of Representatives, District 39
Jody LaMacchia
Michigan State House of Representatives, District 46
Marcia Morgan
North Carolina House of Representatives, District 19
Lorenzo Sanchez
Texas State House of Representatives, District 67
Rep. Brianna Titone
Colorado State House of Representatives, District 27
Brandon Thomas
Tennessee House of Representatives, District 49
General Candidate Endorsements
Bryan Anderson
Connecticut State House of Representatives, District 119
Felicia Agrelius
Marin County (CA) Board of Education, Area 4
Britney Barreras
New Mexico State House, District 12
Josh Blanchard
Summit County (CO) Commissioner, District 3
Allister Chang
DC State Board of Education, Ward 2
James Coleman
South San Francisco (CA) City Council, District 41
Brandon Currin
Ingham County (MI) Board of Commissioners, District 6
Jim Davis
Clark County (NV) Eighth District Court Judge, Family Division
Daniel Dong
New Hampshire State House, Hillsborough-7
Robert Doran-Brockway
City of Owosso (MI) Shiawassa County Commissioner, District 2
Randy Downs
DC Council, Ward 2
Jorge Emmanuel Baez-Pagan
Puerto Rico House of Representatives, At-Large
Benjamin Fong
AC Transit Board of Directors (CA), Ward 1
Storme Frame
West Virginia House of Delegates, District 66
J.R. Fruen
Cupertino (CA) City Council
Ralph Galvan
Valley County (CA) Water District Director
Alberto Gimenez
San Juan Municipal Legislator
Kevin Hayakawa
Walnut Valley (CA) Water District Board of Directors, Division IV
Matthew Heinz
Prima County (AZ) Board of Supervisors, District 2
Patrick Ingram
Petersburg (VA) City Council, Ward 6
Kevin Jarrett-Lee
Buckeye Union School District Board of Trustees
Janelle Kellman
Sausalito (CA) City Council
Marshall Kilgore
Kalamazoo (MI) Public School Board of Education
Robb Koons
Marion County Clerk of Courts
Wesley Lawrence
El Paso (TX) City Council, District 4
Val Laymon
Mclean (IL) County Board, District 7
Davante Lewis
East Baton Rouge (LA) Parish Metro Council, District 10
Jeffrey Mackey
Franklin County (OH) Court of Common Pleas, Probate Division
Jimmy Midyette
Duval County (FL) Clerk of Courts
Christa Mims
Minneapolis (MN) School Board, District 4
Alicia Mousseau
Vice-President, Ogala Sioux Tribe
William Muetzenberg
Tracy (CA) City Council
Devin Murphy
Pinole (CA) City Council
Tom Osina
Manassas (VA) City Council
Alexander Padro
DC Council, At-Large
Lesa Peerman
Margate (FL) City Commissioner, Seat 1
Sasha Perez
Alhambra (CA) City Council, District 4
C.J. Petersen
Iowa State Senate, District 6
Marie Pinkney
Delaware State Senate, District 13
Neil Pople
Roseville (CA) City Council
Freddy Puza
Culver (CA) City Council
Richard Renner
Pioneer Township (MI) Supervisor
J.C. Romero
Orleans (LA) Parish School Board, District 4
Mitch Rosenwald
Oakland Park (FL) Commission
Patricia “Max” Rorty
Trustee for Goleta Union School Board
Rebecca Saltzman
BART (CA) Board, District 3
Justin Sha
Mayor of Fremont, CA
Lynnette Shaw
Oregon House of Representatives, District 24
Justin Sheldon
Kent County (MI) Commission, District 11
Melissa Shuen-Mallory
New Haven School Board, Trustee District 2
Beau Simon
Broward County (FL) Soil and Water Supervisor, District 5
Tavarris Spinks
Richmond, VA City Council, District 2
Terry Taplin
Berkeley (CA) City Council, District 2
Mario Trujillo
Downey (CA), City Council, District 5
Mauree Turner
Oklahoma State House of Representatives, District 88
Carolyn Wysinger
West Contra Costa (CA) Unified School Board, Area 5
Incumbent Candidate Endorsements
Raghib Allie-Brennan
Connecticut State Representative, District 2
Becca Balint
Vermont State Senate, Windham
Chris Cabaldon
Mayor of West Sacramento (CA)
Kelly Cassidy
Illinois General Assembly, District 14
Jo Comerford
Massachusetts State Senate, Hampshire, Franklin and Worcester District
Julian Cyr
Massachusetts State Senate, Cape & Islands District
Frank Guzman
Pomona (CA) Unified School District, Area 3
Tina Kotek
Oregon State House of Representatives, District 44
Bill Lippert
Vermont House of Representatives
Lange Luntao
Stockton (CA) School Board, Area 4
Marcia Morey
North Carolina House of Representatives, District 30
Greta Neubauer
Wisconsin State Assembly, District 62
Danielle Newbury
City of Rahway (NJ) City Council, Ward 5
Daniel O’Donnell
New York State Assembly, District 66
Karin Power
Oregon State House of Representatives, District 41
Leonard Resto
Chatham (NJ) Borough Council
Matthew Sparks
Oakland Park (FL) City Commission
Tom Temprano
San Francisco (CA) Community College Board
David Vela
Los Angeles (CA) Community College District Board, Seat 3
Edward Zipprich
Red Bank (NJ) Borough Council
2021 General Candidate Endorsement
Elisa Crespo
New York City Council, District 15
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.
