Five Stories You Should Know About

1. Vincent Solomeno Outraises Opponent for NJ State Senate Seat

Vincent Solomeno outraised his opponent last quarter and has a strong financial advantage in the final weeks before Election Day. Vincent’s opponent, who was banned from Twitter for promoting anti-vaccine conspiracy theories currently holds a seat in a swing district. When Vincent flips this seat in November, he’ll make history as the first out LGBTQ member of the New Jersey state Senate!

Vincent hasn’t taken this fundraising report for granted – he’s hard at work on the campaign trail organizing GOTV efforts. Learn how Vincent is connecting directly with voters in his district and preparing for Election Day here.

2. Victory Fund Candidates Advance to General Elections

Two Victory Fund-endorsed candidates advanced from their primaries this month!

Alexandra Dermody, who is running for Davenport (IA) Alderwoman, won her primary with 44 percent of the vote. She now goes on to a November 2^nd general election against Derek Cornette who came in second in their primary with 27 percent of the vote. Read more about Alexandra’s race!

Marion Johnson received the second-most votes in her primary for the Durham (NC) City Council and will advance to the general election! Read more about Marion’s election here.

3. READ: Marshall Kilgore on Running as an out Black Bisexual Man

Victory Fund-endorsed candidate Marshall Kilgore is a nonprofit leader with deep roots in the Kalamazoo community. Through his work at OutFront Kalamazoo, southwest Michigan’s leading LGBTQ+ resource center, he’s seen firsthand the effects bad policy can have on marginalized communities.

Marshall is ready to make a change – and make LGBTQ history as the first out queer person of color elected to the Kalamazoo City Commission. Read more about Marshall’s story and his passion for politics here.

4. Victory Fund Endorses Three More LGBTQ Candidates for 2021 Campaign Cycle

Victory Fund has endorsed three more candidates for the 2021 campaign cycle! Local races like these – city councilmembers, mayors and more – will have a huge effect the daily lives of residents.

India Walton, our candidate for mayor of Buffalo, New York, is running to be the first Black out queer woman elected to the position. India defeated the four-term incumbent, who has now launched a write-in campaign against her, in the primary. Read how the race is heating up!

Coco Alinsug is running to be the first out LGBTQ person in the Lynn City Council in Massachusetts. Read how Coco is pulling ahead in this race!

Lancaster (PA) City Council President Ismail Smith-Wade-El also received endorsement for his reelection campaign. Ismail has been hard at work on the campaign trail mobilizing future voters!

5. A Moment in LGBTQ History...

It is LGBTQ History Month, so we are taking a moment to remember key milestones in LGBTQ political history throughout October. And here is one...

In 2003, Ron Oden made history when he was elected as the first out Black gay mayor in the U.S. In Palm Springs (CA), Ron lead during tremendous growth in the city and doubled the city’s budget. Thanks in part to Ron’s leadership, Palm Springs is a proud haven for LGBTQ elected officials and has shattered many rainbow ceilings, including electing America’s first all-LGBTQ city council.

We honor Ron and countless other LGBTQ political pioneers in Pride and Progress, the only comprehensive timeline dedicated to LGBTQ political history.

CANDIDATE SPOTLIGHT

TWEET OF THE WEEK

UPCOMING EVENTS AND OPPORTUNITIES

San Diego Brunch

We've missed the San Diego sunshine, and the even-sunnier disposition of California's proud LGBTQ community. Join Victory Fund on Sunday, October 17, 2021 at 11:00 am PT to celebrate San Diego's many historic firsts and lasting legacy of LGBTQ political power. Register here!

30th Anniversary Gala

For the last 30 years, Victory Fund has powered rainbow wave after rainbow wave, electing LGBTQ candidates up and down the ballot who have gone on to make huge changes in their community. Come celebrate LGBTQ political power and raise a glass to progress at Victory Fund’s 30th Anniversary Gala, Saturday, December 4, 2021 from 6:00 pm - 8:00 pm ET!

Paid for by LGBTQ Victory Fund. Your contribution may be used in connection with federal, state and local elections and be subject to federal, state and local laws. Contributions to LGBTQ Victory Fund are not tax deductible. Victory Fund members do not have governance participation rights.

LGBTQ Victory Fund is the political arm of the LGBTQ community. Since our founding in 1991, we’ve supported and elected LGBTQ candidates like U.S. Senators Tammy Baldwin, Governors Jared Polis and Kate Brown and all nine LGBTQ members of U.S. Congress. We've boosted out candidates running for state and local government, including California Senate Pro Tem Toni Atkins, Florida Senator Shevrin Jones, Virginia Delegate Danica Roem, Colorado state Representative Leslie Herod, Pennsylvania state Representative Brian Sims, Hawaii state Representative Adrian Tam, Oklahoma Representative Mauree Turner, and so many more (meet all of our current candidates here)! We’ve shattered rainbow ceilings in all 50 states and broken election year records. You can power our work and the next Rainbow Wave with a donation today!

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