Record Number of LGBTQ Candidates Are Running in the Midterms

Jimmy Ausbrooks is the first openly gay candidate on the Kentucky ballot in the general election for the U.S. House of Representatives. He is running as a democratic candidate but notes on his campaign site that he does not want to be “bogged down by party politics.” He advocates for LGBTQ+ equality, labor rights, and mental health, while also supporting the Second Amendment. He has a background in counseling and served as the president of The Kentucky Association Of LGBTQ Issues.

Medicare for All, LGBTQ rights, reproductive rights, and the Green New Deal are but some of the issues Becca Balint keeps front and center. She currently serves as a senator in Vermont and is the first openly-gay woman to serve as president pro tempore in Vermont. While in office, Balint has helped pass gun safety laws and supported reproductive and housing rights.

Jasmine Beach-Ferrara will run against Chuck Edwards (R) and David Coatney (L) in November’s General Election. She advocates for early childhood education, fighting the opioid crisis, reproductive rights, economic opportunity, job creation, student loan relief, marijuana legalization, LGBTQ rights, racial justice, veteran support, and voting rights. Beach-Ferrara is an ordained minister in the United Church of Christ and serves as a County Commissioner in Buncombe County, North Carolina.

Kirby Birgans-Taylor aims to fight systemic racism and corruption if he is elected to Congress. Running with 16 other democrats in Illinois’ Democratic primary, he is a proponent of criminal justice reform, law enforcement reform, ending qualified immunity, the Green New Deal, LGBTQ+ rights, Medicare for All, and supports abortion rights. Birgans-Taylor states that if he is elected to Congress, he would vote to repeal the Hyde Amendment, which bars the use of federal funds to pay for abortion.

Gavin Brown is running against five other Democrats in Florida’s Democratic primary on August 23, 2022. He is focused on supporting underserved communities, such as the LGBTQ communities and those struggling with poverty. He supports abortion rights and is an advocate for voting rights.

David Cicilline currently serves as the U.S. representative for Rhode Island’s 1st Congressional District and is running for re-election. He previously served as the mayor of Providence, Rhode Island, and was the first openly-gay mayor of a U.S. state capital. He advocates for gun reform and safety and authored the Assault Weapons Ban. He is a proponent of LGBTQ equality, Medicare for All, rebuilding the manufacturing sector, campaign finance reform, and economic support for the middle class. He opposes privatization of Social Security and Medicare cuts. He condemned the Supreme Court decision to overturn Roe v. Wade.

Christopher Constant serves as a member of the Anchorage Assembly District One in Alaska, and is running for the U.S. House to represent Alaska’s congressional District at-large. He aims to support working families by allocating resources to jobs and infrastructure. He is a proponent of affordable health care, access to quality education, climate action, LGBTQ rights, and reproductive rights. He also supports military funding and equal access to law enforcement for indigenous communities.

Angie Craig was the first openly LGBTQ member of congress from Minnesota, and the first lesbian mother to hold a position in Congress. She currently represents Minnesota’s 2nd District in the U.S. House and is running for re-election. Craig was an original cosponsor of the Equality Act that protects the LGBTQ+ community from discrimination. She advocates for protection of union rights, farmers, small businesses, veterans, affordable education, and reproductive rights. She supports protection of Second Amendment rights with some reform.

Sharice Davids is not only Kansas’ first openly LGBTQ member of congress, but she is also one of the first two Native American women to be elected to Congress. She currently represents Kansas’ 3rd Congressional District. Davids supports lowering the cost of health care, increasing investment in public schools, mental health support for at-risk LGBTQ+ youth, climate action, renewable energy, and ensuring that the government and politicians serve the people and remain ethical.

Antonio Daza is an openly gay Latino immigrant from Venezuela, hoping to replace Rep. Barry Loudermilk (R) in Georgia’s 11th Congressional District. Daza opposes divisive, partisan politics, and cites concern following the capitol riot as the impetus for his campaign, having witnessed political extremism in his home country. He is a proponent of Medicare for All, LGBTQ rights, the Green New Deal, campaign finance reform, the Child Tax Credit, civil rights, and support of small business.

Brittany Ramos DeBarros is an Army combat veteran but does not support excessive use of the military. She also believes that the United States has an out-dated penalization system. Ramos DeBarros is a proponent of the Green New Deal, Medicare for All, the protection of all genders and sexualities, affordable education, affordable housing, and investment in pandemic recovery.

Charles Evans ran for North Carolina’s 7th Congressional District, but was defeated by Charles Graham on May 17, 2022. He is a proponent for the protection of constitutional freedoms, support for veterans, human rights, criminal justice reform, affordable housing and resources for homeless people, improved infrastructure, and local economic development.

Isaac Evans-Frantz is on the ballot with Democrats Niki Thran and Peter Welch in the Democratic primary for the U.S. Senate in Vermont. He champions workers’ rights, student loan forgiveness, LGBTQ rights, affordable health care, resources for COVID-19 response, Medicare for All, reproductive rights, the Green New Deal, and racial justice. He opposes the influence of corporate lobbyists and wants to abolish Super PACs.

​​Robert Garcia currently serves as the mayor of Long Beach, California. During his time as mayor, he supported public health initiatives, climate protection, and rights of the LGBTQ+ community, women, and immigrants. His was the first municipality to vaccinate educators and 99% of Long Beach seniors against COVID-19. Garcia advocates for the Green New Deal, pandemic and emergency preparedness, voting rights, increasing the minimum wage, immigrant rights, Medicare for All, civil rights, and student loan forgiveness. He refused corporate PAC checks for his campaign.

Jo Glenn previously served as the Tulsa Democratic Party chair. She became a major advocate for the funding of high-quality public education after working as an educator. Some issues Glenn supports are LGBTQ rights, reproductive rights, voting rights, gun reform, minimum wage increases, rural infrastructure support, and tribal relations.

Daniel Hernandez Jr. currently serves as a congressman in the Arizona House of Representatives, and is the second openly LGBTQ Latinx member of Congress. He is an advocate for pandemic preparedness, reproductive rights, voting rights, climate action, gun violence prevention, and affordable health care. Hernandez cofounded the LGBTQ caucus and has fought against discriminatory legislation that targets the LGBTQ community in Arizona.

Queen Johnson is a Black, lesbian candidate running against incumbent Hakeem Jeffries (D) and Clementine Vasquez (D) in New York’s Democratic primary to represent New York’s 8th District. She aims to assist local communities rebuild in response to the COVID-19 pandemic through housing initiatives, job creation, and debt forgiveness for pandemic-related expenses. Johnson supports LGBTQ rights, racial and income equality, Medicare for All, the Green New Deal, women’s rights, resources for veterans, resources for immigrants, gun violence prevention, and criminal justice reform.

Mondaire Jones was elected to Congress in January, 2021, becoming the first openly gay, Black man to serve in that position. He is the incumbent running for reelection in New York’s 10th Congressional District. Jones is a proponent of reproductive rights, marriage equality, affordable housing, Medicare for All, the Green New Deal, and universal child care. He is the co-chair of the LGBTQ Equality Caucus. He supports campaign finance reform and refuses to take money from corporations.

Rebekah Jones is currently running for Congress against Margaret Schiller (D) in the Florida primary to represent the state’s 1st District. If she wins, she hopes to unseat Republican incumbent Matt Gaetz. Jones supports climate action, transparency and accountability, veteran support, voter rights, tax reform, and media accountability.

Odessa Kelly would be the first openly LGBTQ person elected to Congress in Tennessee if she wins her race for the U.S. House of Representatives in Tennessee’s 7th District. She champions unions, workers’ rights, a minimum wage increase, affordable housing, the Green New Deal, gun violence prevention, justice reform, Medicare for All, campaign finance reform, and immigrant rights.

Matt Kilboy won the Democratic primary for the U.S. House in Ohio’s 14th District and will run against incumbent David Joyce (R) in the 2022 General Election. He advocates for affordable, single-payer health care, universal Pre-K, public health infrastructure, increased pay for junior enlisted service members, Department of Defense oversight, and transparency on federal spending.

David Kim is an openly gay attorney of Asian descent. Throughout his career, he has advocated for undocumented families, fought for fair, legal processes in the workplace, and investigated corrupt officials. He supports LGBTQ rights, Medicare for All, a Universal Basic Income, labor rights, free public college, the Green New Deal, abolishment of ICE, and campaign finance reform.

Though a democrat, Sean Patrick Maloney has demonstrated a more moderate standing on several issues. He currently serves as an openly gay U.S. House member for New York’s 18th Congressional District. Following redistricting, he is now running for office for New York’s 17th Congressional District. He is an advocate for local agriculture, fighting the opioid epidemic, gender equality, reproductive rights, water protection, veteran benefits, and bringing in more manufacturing jobs. He previously served as an advisor to President Bill Clinton.

Derek Marshall, who was the director of internationalization at KAYAK, cites his experience living abroad in the corporate world as the impetus to fight the privatization of health care, education and infrastructure in the United States. He is a supporter of LGBTQ rights, livable wages, Medicare for All, free Pre-K, the Green New Deal, and renewable energy. Marshall’s campaign is supported by grassroots efforts rather than funding from corporations.

If elected, Jamie McLeod-Skinner will serve as Oregon’s first openly LGBTQ member of Congress. With a background in humanitarian work, she’s an Oregon Watershed Enhancement Board appointee and works on affordable housing, education, wildfire recovery, and water quality. Some of her campaign’s key issues are climate action, physical and social infrastructure for working families, and the protection of democracy from things like partisan gerrymandering and breaches of voting rights. McLeod-Skinner has refused money from Big Pharma and fossil fuel PACs during her campaign.

After years serving as a political strategist, commentator, social impact advisor, and CEO of Victory Fund, Aisha Mills is running for Congress in New York’s Hudson Valley. She is a staunch supporter of LGBTQ rights and marriage equality. This will be her first run for Congress.

Robert Millwee is new to politics but comes to the table with experience in finance and business. He is a proponent of congressional term limits, climate action, expanding international trade agreements, and equal opportunity regardless of sexual orientation, gender, age or religious beliefs. He targets younger generations and aims to encourage voting and public service. Florida’s 25th District voted Republican in recent elections.

Nicholas Mitchell identifies as bisexual and if elected, would become Utah’s first openly LGBTQ congressperson. He advocates for reproductive rights, marriage equality, voting rights, health care reform, climate action, labor rights, and tax reform. Mitchell is a supporter of Second Amendment rights but does not support assault rifles. The current congressional representatives in Utah’s 2nd District are Republican.

Heather Mizeur has been involved in policy and public service throughout her career. She is also a farmer and small business owner. If elected, Mizeur will be the first openly LGBTQ+ member of Congress in Maryland. She is a proponent of marriage equality, criminal justice reform, investment in local economy, affordable health care, and climate justice through agriculture. The current 1st Congressional District representative in Maryland is Republican.

Christina Nolan is the only Republican on the list of LGBTQ candidates. She previously served as Vermont’s U.S. attorney, and was the first woman to hold that position in Vermont history. Nolan is focused on lowering inflation, and addressing the opioid epidemic. She is an advocate for LGBTQ rights and supports abortion rights.

Chris Pappas, New Hampshire’s first openly-gay member of Congress, currently serves as a representative in New Hampshire 1st District and is running for reelection. He is a small business owner and is invested in supporting his district’s local economy. Pappas is an advocate for affordable health care, fighting the opioid epidemic, and improving local infrastructure.

Mark Pocan is a progressive Democrat that currently serves as one of Wisconsin’s representatives. He is running for reelection. Pocan supported legislation that promotes access to high quality public education, clean energy, a minimum wage increase, voting rights, and the closing of corporate tax loopholes. He serves on the LGBTQ Equality Caucus.

With a background in law, Matthew Putorti is running for the U.S. House in upstate New York as a response to Republican Elise Stefanik due to concerns about the preservation of democracy. He aims to address the political divisiveness that exists within his community, and advocates for small businesses, access to health insurance, access to living wages, LGBTQ equality, and reduction of gun violence.

Will Rollins will run against incumbent Ken Calvert (R) in California in November. If elected, he would be the second openly gay man to serve in Congress in the state. Rollins formerly served as an assistant U.S. attorney, where he prosecuted some of the insurrectionists who attacked the U.S. Capitol. He aims to fight against division within the country to prevent threats to democracy. He supports tax cuts for the middle and working class, reproductive rights, climate action, LGBTQ rights, campaign finance reform, and protecting seniors from Medicare cuts and privatization.

David Roth won the Democratic primary for the U.S. Senate in Idaho and will run against incumbent Mike Crapo (R) in November. He is a proponent of the Affordable Care Act, LGBTQ rights, women’s rights, battling the opioid epidemic, a path to citizenship for DACA recipients, and gun reform.

Maite Salazar (who uses they/them pronouns) is a queer, non-binary, Latinx candidate in Missouri. They support the Green New Deal, Medicare for All, federal housing guarantees, migrant rights, support for small business, prison abolition, a federal ban on conversion therapy, and student loan forgiveness. They will run against Democratic incumbent Emanuel Cleaver

in Missouri’s 5th Congressional District, which includes part of Kansas City, Missouri.

Eric Sorensen formerly worked as a meteorologist and TV weatherman. He places his climate communications work at the foundation of his desire to protect his community. He is focused on climate change action, improving the Affordable Care Act, LGBTQ rights, future pandemic prevention, high quality public education, and creating sustainable jobs. He is competing with five other Democrats during the primary in his Illinois Congressional District.

Mark Takano, the only openly LGBTQ+ AAPI (Asian American Pacific Islander) person in Congress, currently serves as California’s congressman for the 39th Congressional District and is running for reelection. He is focused on bringing jobs to the Inland Empire in California, supporting veteran benefits, and improving education. Takano was a public school educator for over 20 years. He supports the Affordable Care Act, affordable housing, gun control, and climate action.

Currently serving as congressman for New York’s 15th Congressional District, Ritchie Torres is running for reelection. He is a supporter of LGBTQ rights, the Green New Deal, an increased minimum wage, resourcing for Puerto Rico, affordable housing, and justice for communities that have been left behind. Torres grew up in public housing and is a strong advocate for the expansion of Section 8, which provides federal rent assistance.

Alex Walker aims to replace far-right U.S. Rep. Lauren Boebert. His background is in mechanical engineering, and he considers himself as a moderate Democrat. He advocates for working class health care, LGBTQ rights, reproductive rights, access to clean water, and voting rights. He also supports campaign finance reform and refuses money from PACs. Walker is running against two other Democrats in the Democratic Primary.

Kimberly Walker spent eight years in active duty for the military. She is concerned that the political system is fractured and decided to run for office to support working families. Some of Walker’s key issues include higher pay for educators, student loan reform, veteran support, the Affordable Care Act, LGBTQ rights, reproductive rights, and gun reform.

Barry Lee Wendell, a teacher from West Virginia, will run against Republican incumbent Congressman Alexander Mooney in November. He is a supporter of LGBTQ rights, unions and labor rights, and gun violence reform. He condemned the Supreme Court’s decision to strike down New York’s gun law.

Doug White and his family have been farming for four generations, and he is focused on helping his district in Central Washington achieve support for farmers, clean drinking water, working infrastructure, and immigration that has a clear path to citizenship. He also advocates for affordable housing and health care, climate action, and gang violence prevention. He aims to unseat Republican incumbent Dan Newhouse.

​​Mckayla Wilkes is running against two other Democrats in Maryland’s Democratic Primary on July 19th, including incumbent Congressman Steny Hoyer. She ran against Hoyer in the 2020 Democratic Primary and lost but received over 40,000 votes at the time. Wilkes supports Medicare for All, the Green New Deal, criminal justice reform, expansion of the Child Tax Credit, LGBTQ Equality, affordable housing, and an end to qualified immunity.

Mary Woods is a strong advocate for rural America, gender equality, laws that include nonbinary and gender non-conforming identities, reproductive rights, living wages, Pre-K and tax credits for families, voting rights, health and mental health access for veterans, and broadband access. Woods is a transgender woman and advanced from the Democratic Primary in March to run against Pete Sessions (R) for the U.S. House of Representatives in Texas’ 17th Congressional District.

Claudia Zapata is only 28 years old, and in May 2022, she became the democratic candidate for the U.S. House in Texas’ 21st Congressional District. Zapata advocates for affordable housing, improving rural infrastructure by adding more hospitals, food accessibility, universal health care, safe gun ownership, and increasing the minimum wage.

Robert Zimmerman has served on the Democratic National Committee and is strongly opposed to corporate funds in politics and campaign finance. He is a staunch supporter of LGBTQ rights, Medicare for All, labor rights, climate action through the Build Back Better bill, reproductive rights, gun violence prevention, and making citizenship more accessible for immigrants.