Derek Kitchen, Utah’s openly gay former councilman and state senator, announced in late November that he will be running for U.S. Congress in the 2026 election cycle, further paving the way for LGBTQ+ political leaders reaching the nation’s top ranks.
Kitchen has been serving the Salt Lake City community for the past decade. As a trusted and reliable candidate, his focus has been on improving the lives of LGBTQ+ individuals facing housing crises, rights infringements, and limited access to community development programs. He worked to make city policy more inclusive while supporting sustainable urban development and local small businesses. At the state level, he championed marriage equality, anti-discrimination legislation, and initiatives improving public health, education, and social services, often collaborating across party lines to create meaningful change. Kitchen’s emphasis on holistic empowerment positions him as a strong candidate for Congress, and his service could inspire other diverse individuals to pursue their own leadership goals.
If elected to Congress, Kitchen would continue advancing equality for LGBTQ+ individuals, building on his co-founding of Equality Utah, the state’s leading LGBTQ+ advocacy organization. He would approach the country’s housing crisis with compassion and practical solutions, informed by his experience supporting housing initiatives and homelessness prevention programs. Kitchen has consistently promoted long-term community development, including the growth of small businesses, and he has worked to bridge gaps between the LGBTQ+ community and faith-based organizations—a relationship in need of healing and understanding.
Kitchen’s leadership and dedication to inclusion not only promise positive change for LGBTQ+ individuals in America but also have the potential to influence colleagues in Congress to adopt more equitable and empathetic policies. When voters see Derek Kitchen on their U.S. ballot next November, they should remember his commitment to building stronger, fairer communities across Utah, and that he would do the same across the whole country.
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