LGBTQ+ Candidates See Historical Wins in 2024 Elections

The 2024 election season has been tumultuous, but LGBTQ+ candidates across the country enjoyed record victories in state and national legislature, with at least eight candidates making history with their elections last week, according to Them. The LGBTQ+ Victory Institute, an organization which aims to expand queer representation in politics by training and advocating for queer candidates and officeholders, reported that LGBTQ+ representation in elected office has increased 200% since the group released its first report in 2017. Currently, there are more than 1,300 LGBTQ+ elected officials in the United States according to the LGBTQ+ Victory Institute’s national map. However, this accounts for only 0.25% of all U.S. elected officials, whereas 7.6% of U.S adults identify as LGBTQ+ as of 2024, according to Gallup.

Many of the records set last week include firsts for LGBTQ+ people of color, including Ketturah Heron who won her election and became the first out LGBTQ person of color elected to the Kentucky State Senate. They previously had also set the record as the first out LGBTQ+ member of the Kentucky House of Representatives. Similarly, Rashaun Kemp won his election to the Georgia State Senate in District 38, becoming the first out gay Black man elected to the state’s legislature. Gabby Salinas ran unopposed in an election to the Tennessee State Assembly in District 96, becoming the first out Latinx person elected to the state’s House of Representatives and the first openly LGBTQ+ woman as a state representative, according to ABC 24. Emily Randall also set the record as the first openly LGBTQ+ Latina in Congress, according to the Victory Fund.

Trans candidates also experienced a number of victories, with Sarah McBride becoming the first trans member of the U.S. Congress and Aime Wichtendahl becoming the first out trans person elected to the Iowa state legislature. Julie Johnson and Molly Cook, both from Texas where anti-LGBTQ measures in the legislature have become more common, both set records as well, with Cook becoming the first LGBTQ+ senator for the state, and Johnson becoming the first LGBTQ+ Congressional elect to come from a Southern state, according to Them.