Big State Legislative Opportunities in Florida and Texas
An unprecedented number of LGBTQ people will run for office in 2020
Washington, DC – Today LGBTQ Victory Fund, the only national organization dedicated to electing LGBTQ leaders to public office, endorsed 39 openly LGBTQ candidates for 2019 and 2020 races – including three incumbent members of Congress. More openly LGBTQ candidates will run for office in 2020 than in any previous election year, surpassing the more than 700 candidates who ran in the “Rainbow Wave” of 2018. Victory Fund has endorsed 66 LGBTQ candidates for 2020 so far.
Among the many opportunities for 2020 is increasing LGBTQ representation in state legislatures throughout the country. Victory Fund endorsed six candidates for the Florida state legislature today, including state Representative Shevrin Jones, who is running to become the first openly LGBTQ person elected to the Florida state Senate. Representation in the state legislature would double from three members to six if the endorsed candidates are victorious in 2020.
Victory Fund also endorsed two non-incumbent candidates for the Texas House of Representatives: Ann Johnson and Eric Holguin. Along with Texas state House candidate Eliz Markowitz – who Victory Fund endorsed in a special election and is now headed to a runoff in January – representation in the Texas state legislature would increase from five to nine members if all are successful. Last month Victory Fund endorsed Shawn Terry, a non-incumbent also running for the Texas state House.
View today’s media releases about the Texas state legislative candidates or the Florida state legislative candidates.
“An unprecedented number of LGBTQ people will run for office in 2020 – potentially making the Rainbow Wave of 2018 look more like a ripple,” said Mayor Annise Parker, President & CEO of LGBTQ Victory Fund. “In 2020, we will endorse more candidates than at any time in our 28-year history, with opportunities to dramatically increase LGBTQ representation in state legislatures and elect a historic number of LGBTQ people to Congress. We have out LGBTQ candidates running in parts of the country where none have run before, transforming perceptions of LGBTQ people in these communities. This coming year we will build LGBTQ political power like never before – and these 39 newly endorsed candidates are the backbone are the ones who will make it happen.”
The complete list of candidate endorsements announced today is below:
2019 Runoff Candidate Endorsements:
Kurtis Purtee
Savannah (GA) City Council, District 6
Runoff: 12/3/19
Evangeline Beechler
Caldwell City (ID) Council, Seat 6
Runoff: 12/3/19
2020 General Candidate Endorsements:
Justin Bramhall
Kentucky House of Representatives, District 79
Primary: 5/12/20 General: 11/3/20
Peter Burgelis
Milwaukee (WI) Common Council, District 11
Primary: 2/18/20 General: 4/7/20
Gabriela De Jesus
Florida House of Representatives, District 116
Primary: 8/18/20 General: 11/3/20
Laurie Eiserloh
Travis County (TX) Attorney
Primary: 3/3/20 General: 11/3/20
Javier Estevez
Florida House of Representatives, District 105
Primary: 8/18/20 General: 11/3/20
Eric Holguin
Texas House of Representatives, District 32
Primary: 3/3/20 General: 11/3/20
Ann Johnson
Texas House of Representatives, District 134
Primary: 3/3/20 General: 11/3/20
Shevrin Jones
Florida State Senate, District 35
Primary: 8/18/20 General: 11/3/20
Ricky Junquera
Florida House of Representatives, District 118
Primary: 8/18/20 General: 11/3/20
Terra Lawson-Remer
San Diego County Board of Supervisors, District 3
Primary: 3/3/20 General: 11/3/20
Ken Meija-Beal
Illinois House of Representatives, District 42
Primary: 3/17/20 General: 11/3/20
Levander “Van” Smith, Jr.
Circuit Court Judge of Cook County (IL), At-Large
Primary 3/17/20 General: 11/3/20
Marque Snow
Nebraska Legislature, District 9
Primary: 5/12/20 General: 11/3/20
Phillip Westry
Baltimore City Council, District 12
Primary: 4/28/20 General: 11/3/20
2020 Incumbent Candidate Endorsements:
Jasmine Beach-Ferrara
Buncombe County (NC) Commission, District 1
Primary: 3/3/20 General: 11/3/20
Lisa Bunker
New Hampshire House of Representatives, Rockingham District 18 Primary: 9/8/20 General: 11/3/20
Cesar Chavez
Arizona House of Representatives, District 29
Primary: 8/4/20 General: 11/3/20
Daniel Corona
Mayor of West Wendover (NV)
General: 11/3/20
Angie Craig
US House of Representatives, MN-2
Primary: 3/3/20 General: 11/3/20
Sharice Davids
US House of Representatives, KS-3
Primary: 8/4/20 General: 11/3/20
Ryan Fecteau
Maine House of Representatives, District 11
Primary: 6/9/20 General: 11/3/20
Steven Glassman
Fort Lauderdale (FL) Commissioner, District 2
General: 11/3/20
Carlos Guillermo Smith
Florida House of Representatives, District 49
Primary: 8/18/20 General: 11/3/20
Brad Hoylman
New York State Senate, District 27
Primary: 6/23/20 General: 11/3/20
Celia Israel
Texas House of Representatives, District 50
Primary: 3/3/20 General: 11/3/20
Steven Kirkland
Judge, 334th District Court (TX)
Primary: 3/3/20 General: 11/3/20
Rebecca Kislak
Rhode Island House of Representatives, District 4
Primary: 9/15/20 General: 11/3/20
Evan Low
California State Assembly, District 28
Primary: 3/3/20 General: 11/3/20
Chris Pappas
US House of Representatives, NH-1
Primary: 2/11/20 General: 11/3/20
Devon Reese
Reno City (NV) Council, At-Large
Primary: 6/9/20 General: 11/3/20
Benjamin Reynolds
Johnson City Village (NY) Board
General: 11/3/20
Susan Ruiz
Kansas House of Representatives, District 23
Primary: 8/4/20 General: 11/3/20
Jennifer Smith
Criminal Court Division IV, 20th Judicial District (TN)
Primary: 3/3/20 General: 8/6/20
Brianna Titone
Colorado House of Representatives, District 27
Primary: 3/3/20 General: 11/5/20
Jennifer Webb
Florida House of Representatives, District 69 Primary: 8/18/20 General: 11/3/20
Scott Wiener
California State Senate, District 11
Primary: 3/3/20 General: 11/3/20
Les Zendle
Desert (CA) Healthcare District Director General: 11/3/20
More information about the candidates is available at victoryfund.org/ourcandidates. Since 1991, Victory Fund has helped thousands of openly LGBTQ candidates win local, state and federal elections.
_________________
LGBTQ Victory Fund
LGBTQ Victory Fund works to change the face and voice of America’s politics and achieve equality for LGBTQ Americans by increasing the number of openly LGBTQ elected officials at all levels of government.
About the Author: Michael Strangeways
