Election

12 LGBTQ Candidates to Watch on Election Night 2020

More than 570 out candidates made the ballot this election cycle.
by 11/2/2020

According to the LGBTQ Victory Fund, at least 1,006 LGBTQ Americans ran for public office this election cycle. More than 570 of those candidates will appear on the ballot on Election Day this Tuesday, November 3. That’s a record high for the U.S.—and yet another sign that the “Rainbow Wave” sweeping America isn’t slowing its roll any time soon.

Among LGBTQ candidates endorsed by the Victory Fund, 60 are people of color, and 15 are running for spots in the U.S. Congress. While we’ll obviously be monitoring Joe Biden and President Donald Trump’s face-off for the White House, NewNowNext also plans to keep an eye on the many out candidates running for other elected positions nationwide. Below, find 12 races involving LGBTQ candidates we’ll be watching this week.

  1. Sarah McBride in Delaware

    Tasos Katopodis/Getty Images

    After her primary win earlier this year, McBride, a veteran LGBTQ activist and Delaware native, is almost guaranteed to become the first openly transgender state senator in U.S. history.

  2. State Rep. Brianna Titone in Colorado

    Aaron Ontiveroz/The Denver Post via Getty Images

    State Rep. Titone already broke ground when she became Colorado’s first openly trans lawmaker in 2018. She’s up for reelection in her district this year—and sadly, she was targeted with a slew of transphobic campaign ads that dead-named and misgendered her.

  3. Jon Hoadley in Michigan

    Hoadley, who is openly gay, is running for a congressional seat (MI-6) in one of the country’s most competitive races. A win for him would turn the seat blue. Unfortunately, his competitors are well aware of the seat’s importance: Hoadley was also targeted with anti-LGBTQ ads.

  4. Gina Ortiz Jones in Texas

    Thomas McKinless/CQ Roll Call

    Running in what the Victory Fund has dubbed a “red to blue district,” Jones (TX-23), a Democrat, could become the first ever LGBTQ candidate to represent her state in Congress. (She previously ran for Congress in 2018 but was narrowly defeated by Republican incumbent Will Hurd.) If elected, Jones would also become the first LGBTQ Filipina in Congress.

  5. Stephanie Byers in Kansas

    Dia Dipasupil/Getty Images for GLSEN

    Byers, a GLSEN Award-winning educator, could become the first out trans state legislator in Kansas’ history. A win would also make her the first transgender person of color to serve on a state legislature in the country.

  6. Mondaire Jones in New York

    TIMOTHY A. CLARY/AFP via Getty Images

    After his primary win, Jones (NY-17) is pretty much guaranteed to secure a congressional seat, a win that would make him one of America’s first Black LGBTQ members of Congress.

  7. Ritchie Torres in New York

    Noam Galai/Getty Images

    Back in June, Torres (NY-15) made headlines when he beat out his opponent, an infamously anti-LGBTQ Democrat, in his district’s congressional primary. Along with Jones, the Bronx native and New York City council member is well positioned to become one of the first Black LGBTQ people elected to Congress.

  8. Brandon Thomas in Tennessee

    Thomas, a Black gay Democrat, is running in one of just four states in the U.S. that have yet to elect an openly LGBTQ state legislator. If elected, he’d make political history in Tennessee.

  9. Pat Hackett in Indiana

    A win for Hackett (ID-2) would make her Indiana’s first out LGBTQ representative in Congress.

  10. Madeline Eden in Texas

    Eden, a Democrat, is one of the many LGBTQ Dems whose win would help turn Texas’ state House blue. She’d also become the first openly trans state legislator in Texas history.

  11. Jessica Katzenmeyer in Wisconsin

    If elected, Katzenmeyer, a Wisconsin Democrat, would become her state’s first out trans state lawmaker.

  12. Roger Montoya in New Mexico

    Mike Coppola/Getty Images for WarnerMedia

    The 2019 CNN Hero is running for a seat on New Mexico’s House of Representatives–and he won’t let Republicans’ attempts to shame him for starring in a gay adult film years ago get him down.

These Trans Candidates Running for State Office Made the Ballot

Brooklyn-based writer and editor. Probably drinking iced coffee or getting tattooed.
@_sammanzella