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LGBTQ candidates are campaigning in all 50 U.S. states and the capital, Washington, for the first time in this year’s midterm elections, as communities become increasingly powerful voting districts.
The milestone comes amid a surge in gay and transgender voters that analysts expect will redraw the electoral landscape for the next generation, pushing the conservative American heartland in a more liberal direction.
A new report from the LGBTQ Victory Fund found that of the 1,065 LGBTQ candidates in the primaries for November’s midterm elections, a historic 678 entered the ballot — an 18 percent increase over 2020.
“Voters are fed up with the relentless attacks against the LGBTQ community this year,” said Annise Parker, former Houston Mayor and director of the LGBTQ Victory Fund.
“The bigots want us to stay home and keep quiet, but their attacks backfire and inspire a new wave of LGBTQ leaders to run for office.”
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Nearly 90 percent of the LGBTQ candidates in this year’s primary are Democrats, such as Maura Healey and Tina Kotek, who are vying to be the first lesbian governors of Massachusetts and Oregon.
“Relentless Attack”
Healey was way ahead in her race, but Kotek found herself falling behind in what was seen as a toss-up.
Among the many other firsts the LGBTQ community is watching on election night, Vermont House candidate Becca Balint will be the only lesbian the state sends to Congress.
Mary Louise Adams, an award-winning author and scholar specializing in LGBTQ issues, welcomed progress in efforts to ensure community members are “not only present, but visible and voiced” in public life.
“As a voter, I’m still more interested in knowing what the candidates’ overall platform is and what strategies they propose to strengthen and support various marginalized communities,” a professor at Queen’s University in Canada told AFP.
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