Out Candidates See Groundbreaking Wins in Connecticut, Minnesota
From left: Leigh Finke, Erick Russell, and Erin Maye Quade; photos courtesty LGBTQ+ Victory FundLGBTQ+ candidates made plenty of history in Tuesday’s primaries, with groundbreaking wins in Connecticut and Minnesota.Erick Russell, a Black gay man, beat two other candidates to become the Democratic nominee for Connecticut state treasurer.
If he wins in November, which is likely given the state’s makeup, Russell would be the first Black member of the LGBTQ+ community to hold statewide office anywhere in the nation.
There are currently just six out statewide elected officials, and none of them is Black, according to the LGBTQ+ Victory Fund, which has endorsed Russell.The current state treasurer, Shawn Wooden, did not seek reelection, opening up the race.
Russell won 57 percent of the vote in the Democratic primary and will face Republican Harry Arora in the general election, CT Insider reports.One of the treasurer’s primary duties is managing investments for the state’s pension fund.
