Seven LGBTQ Stories You Should Know About

1. Historic Number of LGBTQ Candidates Running for Office This Year

 

It's official: 2022 has broken the record for the most out LGBTQ candidates to run for office! LGBTQ Victory Fund counts over 1,000 LGBTQ people that stepped up to run for office this cycle to protect LGBTQ rights. This year marks an even more diverse selection of candidates with a 58% increase in LGBTQ candidates of color from 2020! Check out the full data and report here!

2. Victory in Maryland (with more to come!)

As we wait for mail-in ballots to be counted for tight races, we celebrate our Victory Fund-endorsed candidates and their many wins in Maryland on Tuesday! Over 200,000 mail-in ballots are yet to be counted, delaying the final results for some of out legislative races.

Heather Mizeur's strong fundraising paid off in a landslide win against her primary opponent, setting her up to face incumbent Rep. Andy Harris - a Big Lie supporter - in November's general election. Delegate Gabriel Acevero held his spot in District 39 after facing a disinformation campaign from his fellow incumbents' slate, and Clerk Karen Bushell retained her seat as Montgomery County Clerk by over 35 points following her appointment to the seat in 2020. 

3. The U.S. House Passed the Respect for Marriage Act

With Justice Thomas calling for Obergefell's overturning, the U.S. House of Representatives passed the Respect for Marriage Act, which codifies marriage equality into law nationwide. The bill passed with a bipartisan effort, with many LGBTQ members of Congress vocally supporting the legislation. Work has already begun to secure the votes needed in the U.S. Senate.

Game Changer candidate Heather Mizeur will face anti-LGBTQ opponent U.S. Congressman Andy Harris this November and has pledged to protect and uplift pro-equality legislation. Heather, who worked to ensure marriage equality passed in Maryland, will be the first out LGBTQ person elected to Congress from the state.

In California, U.S. Congressman Ken Calvert finally voted in favor of marriage equality - after years of bigotry, anti-choice rhetoric and peddling election security myths. Game Changer Candidate Will Rollins isn't falling for his tricks though. Read Will's response to Calvert's vote and why we need a real pro-equality leader to take his seat. 

4. Angie Craig Gets Personal About Marriage Equality

 

In a speech on the U.S. House floor, U.S. Congresswoman Angie Craig gave a rallying speech and noted her disgust that marriage equality is still being debated. She railed against the anti-equality members of Congress who voted against the bill.

Angie posted touching photos of her own family - she and her wife married seven years before it was officially recognized by the federal government - and called on her fellow legislators to enshrine marriage equality into law and continue to pass meaningful reforms to further LGBTQ equality. 

5. For Your Viewing Pleasure: New Candidate Ads To Watch

 

You heard right: three Game Changer candidates just dropped new ads:

Daniel Hernández, running for the U.S. House in Arizona, discussed the right to choose in his latest ad, "In the Fight". Watch it here and learn more about Daniel's campaign to be the first out LGBTQ Mexican American elected to Congress!

U.S. Congressman Sean Patrick Maloney flexed his credentials in a kayak in his latest pitch for his reelection campaign in "Barge Hunter". Check it out here!

Our candidate for Connecticut State Treasurer, Erick Russell, tells his story in his latest ad "My Story". Inspired by Erick's story like we are? Learn more about his campaign or sign up to volunteer (Election day is right around the corner!) here.

Janelle Perez, our candidate for Florida state Senate District 38, used her latest ad to highlight her fight to beat cancer. Janelle has made lowering healthcare costs a cornerstone of her campaign. Watch her full message here!

6. Kris Mayes Vows to Protect Your Right to Choose

After the Arizona Attorney General began the process to implement a ban on abortions in the state, Game Changer candidate Kris Mayes did not take this news lightly. Kris reassured Arizonians that she will protect abortion access and will not prosecute healthcare professionals from assisting people who are exercising their right to choose.

The Arizona primary is on August 2, and the fight to victory will continue all the way until Election Day. This will be one of the most contentious Attorney General races in the country (as will Game Changer candidate Dana Nessel's reelection campaign in Michigan).

7. Erin Maye Quade isn't Backing Down

Spotlight candidate Erin Maye Quade earned national headlines after she went into labor during the nominating convention for the Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party. Both Erin's opponent and party officials refused to stop the balloting, forcing her to complete her speech while experiencing severe labor contractions.

Erin spoke with Ms. Magazine about the convention, what it taught her and how it reaffirmed her desire to win and change the system. Read the full interview here!

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. Senator 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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