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12 LGBTQ Candidates to Watch on Election Night 2020

More than 570 out candidates made the ballot this election cycle.

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.

Sarah McBride in Delaware

Tasos Katopodis/Getty Images

WASHINGTON, DC - APRIL 01: Sarah McBride, National Press secretary of Human Rights Collation speaks on introduction of the Equality Act, a comprehensive LGBTQ non-discrimination bill at the US Capitol on April 01, 2019 in Washington, DC. Ahead of International Transgender Day of Visibility, a bipartisan majority of the U.S. House on voted in favor of a resolution opposing the Trump-Pence discriminatory ban on transgender troops. (Photo by 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.

State Rep. Brianna Titone in Colorado

Aaron Ontiveroz/The Denver Post via Getty Images

DENVER, CO - JANUARY 4: Rep. Brianna Titone does an interview on the House floor during the first day of the 2019 Colorado Legislative Session at the capitol on Friday, January 4, 2019. Titone is the state's first transgener legislator. (Photo by 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.

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.

Gina Ortiz Jones in Texas

Thomas McKinless/CQ Roll Call

UNITED STATES - October 20: Gina Ortiz Jones, candidate for Texas' 23rd Congressional district, is interviewed by CQ Roll Call at their D.C. office, October 20, 2017. (Photo by 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.

Stephanie Byers in Kansas

Dia Dipasupil/Getty Images for GLSEN

NEW YORK, NY - MAY 21: Educator of the Year honoree Stephanie Byers attends the GLSEN 2018 Respect Awards at Cipriani 42nd Street on May 21, 2018 in New York City. (Photo by 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.

Mondaire Jones in New York

TIMOTHY A. CLARY/AFP via Getty Images

Mondaire Jones, the Democratic candidate for New York's 17th Congressional District, poses outside his home in Nyack, New York, July 23, 2020. - Jones, 33, has won the Democratic primaries in his district. If he wins the November 3rd election as anticipated, he will become the first Black, openly gay representative in US Congress, together with Ritchie Torres from the Bronx. (Photo by TIMOTHY A. CLARY / AFP) (Photo by 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.

Ritchie Torres in New York

Noam Galai/Getty Images

NEW YORK, NY - MARCH 21: Ritchie Torres attends the 2016 GMHC Spring Gala dinner at Cipriani 42nd Street on March 21, 2016 in New York City. (Photo by 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.

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.

Pat Hackett in Indiana

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

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.

Jessica Katzenmeyer in Wisconsin

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

Roger Montoya in New Mexico

Mike Coppola/Getty Images for WarnerMedia

NEW YORK, NEW YORK - DECEMBER 08: 2019 Top 10 CNN Hero Roger Montoya speak onstage CNN Heroes at American Museum of Natural History on December 08, 2019 in New York City. (Photo by 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.

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