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‘Rainbow Wave’: Record Number of LGBT Candidates in US Midterms

  • Record number of LGBT candidates running for offices in U.S. midterms on Nov. 6.

    Record number of LGBT candidates running for offices in U.S. midterms on Nov. 6. | Photo: Reuters

Published 5 November 2018
Opinion

All the LGBT candidates are Democrat and opposed by anti-LGBT Republican candidates.

A total of 26 candidates for the Congress and governorship posts in the United States midterm elections Tuesday, openly identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender. This is a record number of LGBT candidates running for offices in the country.

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At present white males make up 69 percent of all governors and members of Congress despite being only a third of the U.S. population.

A report from LGBTQ Victory Fund says that, in a so-called Rainbow Wave, at least 399 LGBT candidates will be appearing on ballots on Nov. 6 which includes the candidates for state congresses.

The LGBT candidates that everyone is talking about are the following:

Katie Hill, a bisexual woman from California is a Democrat candidate running against anti-LGBT Republican Steve Knight for the House Representatives. A traditionally Republican district, California can be a challenge for Hill.

Wisconsin Democrat Tammy Baldwin became the first openly homosexual member of the U.S. Senate when she was elected in 2012. Her opponent Republican Leah Vukmir is a vocal anti-LGBT politician. Baldwin had been called a “pervert” by conservative Political Action Committee (PAC).

Baldwin said, “As more members of the LGBTQ community are elected and become public servants, [our] voices will become louder. But for now, we must do everything we can to promote tolerance and fight discrimination. We have work to do until we achieve full acceptance and equality.”

If Kyrsten Sinema from Arizona, who currently holds a seat in the U.S. House of Representative gets elected, she will be the first openly bisexual member of the U.S. Senate. Her opponent Republican Martha McSally had been a supporter of Trump’s ban on transgender troops in the military.

Oregon’s Kate Brown, running for the post of governor had signed a transgender equality bill as an acting-governor and stood up to Trump’s policy on refugees.

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Christine Hallquist, if elected as the governor of Vermont, will become the first openly transgender politician in the U.S. She had been a survivor of transphobic attacks during her campaign.

“I told the campaign team right in the beginning that if we’re successful and the more successful we get, the more hatred, the more vitriol, and more death threats would occur,” she said.

Sharice Davids, looking to win a seat in the House of Representative is an intersectional candidate due to her Native American heritage and sexuality.

Another intersectional candidate is Lupe Valdez from Texas vying for Governor’s office. The Mexican-American lesbian police sheriff has an uphill battle against anti-LGBT Republican incumbent Greg Abbott.

Some other candidates are, Lauren Baer from Florida, Angie Craig from Minnesota, Jamie McLeod-Skinner from Oregon, and Gina Ortiz Jones from Texas.

Among the men, Jared Polis, Colorado, Chris Pappas from New Hampshire, and Marc Pocan from Wisconsin are renowned and openly gay candidates.

All the candidates are Democrat and opposed by anti-LGBT Republican candidates. If elected, they are hoped to bring diversity to the country’s electorally held offices.

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