Gregory Wayne Abbott (born November 13, 1957) is an American attorney who has served as the 48th governor of Texas since January 20, 2015. A member of the Republican Party, Abbott previously served as the 50th attorney general of Texas from 2002 to 2015. He is the third governor of any U.S. state to permanently use a wheelchair. He is also the first disabled governor in Texas history.
US midterm elections: LGBTQ+ candidates make historic wins
It was a mixed night for the LGBTQ+ community in the US midterm elections, with some historic wins for newcomers, but also victories for Republican candidates who have already enacted anti-LGBTQ+ legislation in their states.
With a number of LGBTQ+ issues on the line, from the ‘Don’t Say Gay’ bill to trans inclusion in sport, voters did take to an overwhelmingly queer ballot as a record number of LGBTQ+ candidates stood for office, but much was at stake.
Here, we’ve summarised some of the biggest wins and losses for the LGBTQ+ community so far. Win: Maura Healey has become the first out lesbian governor in US history Maura Healey has won her bid to become the next governor of Massachusetts, making history in the process as the first woman governor and LGBTQ+ governor of the state, as well as the first-ever out lesbian governor in United States history.
Healey, a former civil rights attorney and professional basketball player, defeated Republican candidate and former state representative Geoff Diehl, who was endorsed by disgraced former president Donald Trump.
