LGBTQ Candidates in 2020

Record Number of LGBTQ Candidates Run for U.S. Office in 2020

With the U.S. general election quickly approaching in November, there is a chance that LGBTQ representation in politics will be increasing. According to a new report by the LGBTQ Victory Institute’s Out For America, there are 850 LGBTQ candidates running in 2020 (Victory Institute, 2020). 

This historic increase in LGBTQ candidates follows the trend as the number of LGBTQ elected officials has nearly doubled in the past four years, with 417 in June 2016 and 843 presently (Crary, 2020). The Victory Institute found that in the last three years, the number of LGBTQ Black elected officials and Hispanic elected officials has doubled from 92 to 184 and that the number of transgender elected officials tripled from 6 to 26 (Victory Institute, 2020).

Some of these candidates to be on the lookout for include Mondaire Jones (D-NY), Gina Ortiz Jones (D-TX), Ritchie Torres (D-NY), Beth Doglio (D-WA), Pat Hackett (D-IN), Alex Morse (D-MA), Georgette Gómez (D-CA), and Todd Gloria (D-TX). Additionally, Sarah McBride (D-DE) who, if she wins, would be the first openly transgender person elected to a state senate anywhere in the U.S. (Crary, 2020). 

Across all levels of government, LGBTQ Americans are underrepresented. LGBTQ people are at least 4.5% of the general population, but only hold 0.17% of elected positions (Victory Institute, 2020). Specifically, they hold 2 out of 100 U.S. Senate positions, 7 out of 435 U.S. House of Representatives positions, 2 out of 50 Governors seats, and are 160 of 7,383 State Legislators (Victory Institute, 2020). 

This increase in LGBTQ elected officials could have huge implications for the LGBTQ community nationwide. In an interview with Time Magazine, the institute’s president and CEO, former Houston Mayor Annise Parker, discussed those implications: 

“When LGBTQ elected officials are in the halls of power, they change the hearts and minds of their lawmaker colleagues, defeat anti-LGBTQ bills and inspire more inclusive legislation” (Crary, 2020).

To learn more about which LGBTQ candidates are running near you, check out the Victory Fund’s list of candidates here and head to our home page to make sure you’re registered to vote. 

Sources: 

Crary, D. (2020). Record number of LGBTQ candidates run for U.S. office in 2020. Time Magazine. Retrieved from https://time.com/5867765/lgbtq-candidates-2020-elections/?utm_source=linkedin&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=editorial&utm_term=politics_lgbtq&linkId=94143336 

Victory Fund. (2020). Our candidates. Retrieved from https://victoryfund.org/our-candidates-2019/ 

Victory Institute. (2020). Out for America 2020: A census of LGBTQ elected officials nationwide. Retrieved from https://victoryinstitute.org/out-for-america-2020/