Five Stories You Should Know About
Happy New Year Agenda readers! 2022 is poised to be a historic year for LGBTQ political representation and history and we are honored that you have chosen us to keep you informed for all things LGBTQ campaigns.
1. IN THE FINAL WEEKS OF 2021...
Victory Fund endorsed 11 more state and local candidates, including incumbent candidates like Florida state Senator Shevrin Jones (@ShevrinJones), Massachusetts state Representative Jack Patrick Lewis (@RepJackLewis) and more. Read the full list of endorsements here!
Victory Fund President & CEO Mayor Annise Parker stated: “These LGBTQ candidates are essential to defeating the wave of anti-LGBTQ legislation we see across the country and to pushing forward policies that are inclusive of our community. We are investing early in these races because that is when we can make the greatest difference – and winning in 2022 is more important than ever.”
Victory Fund has now endorsed 68 candidates for the 2022 campaign cycle. You can view them all here.
2. MAYOR ROBERT GARCIA RUNS FOR CONGRESS; OPPONENT CALLED LGBTQ HOUSE SPEAKER A "HOMO"
Victory Fund also endorsed Long Beach Mayor Robert Garcia (@RobertGarcia) in his race for the U.S. Congress! When he wins, Mayor Garcia will be the first out LGBTQ immigrant, second out LGBTQ Latinx person and second out LGBTQ former mayor elected to the U.S. Congress.
As Mayor Garcia racks up huge endorsements, including the Equality PAC just yesterday, new revelations have come to light about his opponent, Cristina Garcia. The California assemblywoman was called out on her use of anti-LGBTQ slurs, harassment directed towards staff, and inappropriate comments directed towards the AAPI community. Additionally, a former staff member alleges that Cristina groped them during in 2014.
During a radio interview, Cristina said, after being pressed, that she had called former California Assembly Speaker John Perez a ‘homo’: “I can't remember, but I wouldn't be surprised if I used that word. Right? So I think that that's fair.”
3. MALCOLMENTUM IN PENNSYLVANIA!
Great news for Malcolm Kenyatta (@malcolmkenyatta), who’s running to be the first out LGBTQ U.S. Senator from Pennsylvania: new polling shows that Malcolm is surging in the race!
The internal poll found Malcolm in second place in the four-way race, following Lt. Gov. John Fetterman, who has high name ID because of his current position. But once voters are given biographical details about each candidate, Malcolm ties Fetterman!
In fact, the more voters learn about Malcolm’s policies and message, they more they want to vote for him! Read the full poll here.
4. REDISTRICTING IMPACTS US REP. CHRIS PAPPAS
On Wednesday, the New Hampshire state legislature passed their congressional redistricting maps, significantly shifting the partisan leaning of U.S. Congressman Chris Pappas’s (@ChrisPappasNH) district. The maps passed on a thin margin, but the new lines change the dynamic of the district. Pappas's district is now a Trump +2 district. Before redistricting, it was Biden +6.
The National Republican Campaign Committee (NRCC) -- which launched a series of blatant anti-LGBTQ attacks on two LGBTQ Congressional candidates in 2020 -- was a leader in the effort to target Pappas during redistricting. Yet Pappas is no stranger to tough races. He flipped his swing seat in 2018 when he won his race with an eight-point margin, becoming the first out LGBTQ congressperson from the state of New Hampshire.
5. NICK KRISTOF KICKED OFF OREGON BALLOT, A BIG BOOST TO TINA KOTEK'S GUBERNATORIAL CAMPAIGN
Oregon's secretary of state ruled yesterday that former New York Times columnist Nick Kristof does not meet the three-year residency requirement to run for governor of the state. Kristof received much criticism when he announced his gubernatorial campaign because of his lack of political experience and because he spent most of the last three decades living in New York -- and voted there in 2020.
The secretary of state's decision is great news for our candidate for governor, Oregon House Speaker Tina Kotek (@TinaKotek), who brings an enormous amount of government experience and leadership to the race. Tina will be the first out lesbian ever elected to be governor in the U.S. when she wins in November.
Despite the secretary of state saying "in the end our elections officials told me it wasn’t even a close call," Kristof announced he will file a lawsuit challenging the decision.
6. ANTI-EQUALITY LEGISLATION IN THE STATES
With midterm elections this year, anti-equality lawmakers are looking for issues to fire up their base while restricting the rights of vulnerable people. In 2021, which was a record-breaking year for anti-LGBTQ legislation, bigots introduced bills targeting trans people on the sports field and at the doctor's office. At least 117 bills of this nature were introduced in state legislatures and this trend will continue in 2022.
In Arizona, a state senator introduced legislation to prohibit gender affirming healthcare and a ban on professionals from prescribing hormone treatments to people under 18.
In Georgia, lawmakers are attempting to ban ‘obscene’ materials from school libraries and severely limiting pro-LGBTQ literature.
And following Texas’ passage of their near total ban on abortion access, other anti-equality lawmakers are emboldened to emulate this legislation in their own states. Similar bills have been discussed or introduced in Florida, Ohio and Alabama.
LGBTQ lawmakers have been at the forefront in defeating anti-LGBTQ bills, anti-abortion bills and legislation restricting voting rights. Electing the historic number of LGBTQ state legislators that will run in 2022 will be critical to repealing and stopping these efforts in the future. Donate to help us support LGBTQ state legislative candidates now.
