John, we’ve had a busy couple weeks here at Victory Fund! Now that the dust has settled from Super Tuesday and we’ve had time to adjust to Pete’s exit from the Democratic primary, I wanted to let you know what else Victory Fund has planned for the year. If you’re already on-board, donate $35 or more to help us support our 168 current endorsees.

I keep hearing the question: “what are you going to do now?” Well, we’re going to do what we have been doing and have always done: continue to change the face of government in the United States! Here’s some of the things we’re focusing on in 2020:

CAMPAIGNING DURING CORONA:

Victory Fund and many of our candidates are closely monitoring the coronavirus’ impact. Many campaigns have instituted changes to their field programs, like forgoing handshakes, bringing hand sanitizer when knocking on doors and instituting office hand-washing policies. Others are putting more emphasis on contacting supporters by phone, text or through digital platforms. We’ll be sending more information on how you can volunteer from home.

Our candidates will keep working hard to win – and we’ll be working alongside them. It is more important than ever that we elect candidates who prioritize the health and safety of our community. If you can chip in to help support our candidates, it’s much appreciated!

POST SUPER TUESDAY CANDIDATES:

Super Tuesday showed that LGBTQ people are continuing to step up to run for office at unprecedented levels! We’re on track to endorse more candidates than at any other time in our 29-year history. 38 of our 168 endorsed candidates were on the on the ballot for Super Tuesday – and their primaries are just the beginning. 29 candidates WON their races, including:

• Georgette Gómez, who grabbed a top-two runoff slot in her Congressional race despite her billionaire opponent outspending her almost 40-1;
• Gina Ortiz Jones, who bested her Democratic primary rivals by a huge margin in Texas’s 23^rd Congressional District; and
• Todd Gloria, who was the top vote-getter and is on track to become the next mayor of San Diego, the eighth largest city in the country!

Some races still too close to call with ballots still being counted. We will definitely see some runoff elections!

BATTLE FOR STATE LEGISLATURES:

This year, our LGBTQ candidates will be key to flipping, holding or picking up chambers in several state legislatures. Control of these state legislatures is vital as they will draw the state legislative and congressional district lines for the next decade – and will decide if our community is effectively represented in those district.

Among those opportunities is, of all places, the Texas House of Representatives – one of the most anti-equality legislatures in the country. LGBTQ candidates may determine whether the Texas House wins a pro-equality majority in November! Eric Holguin, Ann Johnson, and Eliz Markowitz are in districts considered key pickups for Democrats looking to take back the lower chamber, as are incumbent LGBTQ state Reps. Julie Johnson and Erin Zwiener. These are the key seats needed to flip the state House!

In the North Carolina House of Representatives – soon debating whether to end the HB2-related prohibition on local non-discrimination laws - Vernetta Alston and Marcia Morgan won their primaries as did incumbent LGBTQ state Reps. Cecil Brockman, Deb Butler and Allison Dahle. Pro-equality forces need just six seats to flip the state House! Their victories make it almost a certainty that LGBTQ representation will increase in the North Carolina state legislature this November and we will be better prepared to challenge anti-LGBTQ legislation.

And when it comes to flipping state legislatures around the country – Victory Fund’s candidates are also on the front lines in Florida, Michigan, Minnesota, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin – and the voters they get out not only help flip chambers, but also impact the important U.S. House races, U.S. Senate races and the presidential electoral votes in all of these swing states. These candidates are key not only to increased representation, but their victories ensure change comes to all levels of government.

HISTORIC OPPORTUNITIES EVERYWHERE:

2020 can be an unprecedented year for our community with historic opportunities across the nation. They include:

• Electing Mary Washington as the first LGBTQ mayor of Baltimore;
• Securing our first openly LGBTQ state Senators in Delaware, Florida, Georgia and Pennsylvania and restoring and growing senators in Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska and New Mexico, because upper chambers are key places to block anti-LGBTQ legislation;
• Dramatically increasing trans representation in legislatures by electing Sarah McBride as the first openly LGBTQ state senator in Delaware, Stephanie Byers as the first openly trans member of the Kansas state legislature, Kristen Browde as the first openly trans person elected in New York, and Davin Sokup as the first trans man elected to a state legislature in history – with other key opportunities in Illinois, Maine and Oregon;
• Mitigating anti-LGBTQ legislation by increasing LGBTQ representation in Delaware, Georgia, Indiana, Kansas, Nebraska, Oklahoma and Tennessee;
• Electing Jenna Wadsworth, running for North Carolina Commissioner of Agriculture, as the youngest LGBTQ person ever elected statewide anywhere in the United States.

In March and April, we have key primary races in Illinois, Maryland and Pennsylvania and runoffs from Super Tuesday. As the situation with COVID-19 continues to interrupt normal campaigning, Victory Fund is working closely with candidates to find innovative ways to ensure they reach their fundraising and voter contact goals. Clearly, we have a lot of work ahead – and we need you on our side to do it. John, there’s so much at stake. Will you chip in $35 or more to help us win these key elections?

Thanks again for your support,

Sean Meloy 

Senior Political Director, LGBTQ Victory Fund