Xander Orenstein (they/them) won their race for the Allegheny County Magisterial District Court in Pennsylvania and became the first non-binary person elected to a judicial position in the United States. Orenstein narrowly defeated their incumbent primary challenger by 40 votes earlier this year and was unopposed in the general election tonight. Currently, there are just nine out non-binary elected officials in the entire nation.
“LGBTQ people – and especially trans and non-binary people – often face discrimination in the court system, so Xander shattering this judicial barrier is a milestone moment for our community,” said Mayor Annise Parker, President & CEO of LGBTQ Victory Fund. “A court system that is representative of all Americans is essential for fairness and equitable justice, with judges who have the lived experiences of those whose fates they decide. Xander is now a trailblazer in our community’s efforts to diversify the bench with more non-binary people and we know Xander will inspire others to run and win.”
Victory Fund is tracking the Election Night race results for 131 LGBTQ candidates across the country at victoryfund.org/2021
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.
