The highly anticipated midterm elections are taking place today in the United States. As polls are beginning to close we’ve compiled some of the most important races featuring LGBTQ+ candidates that the community should be on the lookout for.
678 openly LGBTQ+ candidates made it onto the ballots and for the first time ever, there’s LGBTQ+ candidates running in every state.
Although there’s never been an out lesbian governor in the U.S., both Oregon & Massachusetts are expected to break that tradition by electing Tina Kotek & Maura Healey for their respective governorships in today’s elections.
In California, Long Beach mayor Robert Garcia is expected to become the country’s first openly gay immigrant to be elected to congress.
Texas legislator, Venton Jones is set to become Texas’ first out legislator who is HIV+.
Becca Balint in Vermont, might become the states first female and first lesbian to win a seat in congress.
There’s also a record number of trans and non-gender conforming candidates running across the country.