LGBTQ+ History in the Making With Record Number of Out Candidates
From left: Candidates in line to make history this year include Maura Healey, running for governor of Massachusetts; Erick Russell, up for Connecticut treasurer; and Zooey Zephyr, running for Montana state representative.
Photos courtesy LGBTQ Victory Fund.It’s once again a record election year for LGBTQ+ candidates.There are at least 1,008 out candidates running this year, surpassing the record of 1,006 set in 2020, according to the LGBTQ Victory Fund, which supports out candidates who are also qualified and viable.“We’re excited to continue making historic firsts,” Sean Meloy, Victory Fund’s vice president of political programs, tells The Advocate.The field this year is significantly more diverse than previous ones as well. “We have a lot of folks who’ve stepped forward to represent the most underrepresented parts of our community,” Meloy says.
There are over 100 more LGBTQ+ people of color running in 2022 than in 2020, a 58 percent increase from that year and a 225 percent increase from 2018.Fifty-five transgender people are running in 2022, a 62 percent increase from 2020 and a 15 percent increase from 2018.
There are 20 gender-nonconforming candidates, compared to none in 2020 and two in 2018. There are also 103 bisexual candidates, a 32 percent increase from 2020 and a 264 percent increase to 2018.Since 2020, there has been a 73 percent increase in LGBTQ+ people running for federal office, a 12 percent increase in out candidates for state legislatures, and a 543 percent increase in LGBTQ+ candidates for statewide office.Visibility and participation in the political process are especially important at a time of escalating political attacks on LGBTQ+ people, Meloy says.
