November 9, 2022
Watch: 2022 Midterms Mark More Firsts for LGBTQ+ Candidates
Kilian Melloy READ TIME: 3 MIN.
The 2022 midterms saw even more LGBTQ+ candidates win their races across a broad array of governmental levels than the 2020 "rainbow wave" ushered in.
The new rainbow wave saw some significant firsts – including Maura Healey's win in Massachusetts, making Healy the first open lesbian to be elected governor; the first LGBTQ+ immigrant to win a seat in the U.S. House of Representatives; and the first openly transgender man to win an office in a state legislature, among other groundbreaking wins.
NBC Los Angeles called the race for Mayor Robert Garcia for the seat in the U.S. House representing California's 42nd District. Garcia, who is the mayor of Long Beach, is the first out LGBTQ+ immigrant to win a congressional seat, the news outlet noted. In his victory speech, Garcia gave props to his late mother, who, he said, was a "hard working woman who worked in clinics, who cleaned houses, who was a true immigrant in every sense of the word" and whose "love for this country is what made us today."
New Hampshire voters swept James Roesener into office as a representative for the state's 22nd District, making Roesener the first out transgender man to win legislative office at the state level. His victory was accomplished five years after Danica Roem won her race for the Virginia House of Delegates in 2017 "and in January 2018 became the first to both be elected and serve while openly transgender in any U.S. state legislature," as Wikipedia notes.
Roesener's win, as well as that of openly transgender candidate Leigh Finke, who became the first out trans person to be elected to Minnesota's state legislature, illustrates an increased level of political participation by the transgender community in the U.S., even as trans Americans continue to be targeted with hostile legislation by GOP-led state governments across the country. "A record number of trans candidates ran for office in the 2022 midterm elections," said the Victory Fund, which supports LGBTQ+ candidates running for office at all levels of government.
Other firsts from the midterm elections include Jason Hoskins' win in Michigan, making him "the first out LGBTQ person of color ever elected to the Michigan state legislature" according to Victory Fund, while Minnesota voters handed wins to Erin Maye Quade and Clare Oumou, who became the first LGBTQ+ – and the first Black – women to be elected to the state senate of Minnestoa.
A trio of victories in deep-red Texas saw Christian Manuel-Hayes and Venton Jones win their races for state representatives (making them "the first Black out LGBTQ men ever elected to the Texas state legislature," the Victory Fund said), while Jolanda Jones won her reelection bid as a state representative after "she won the special election for House District 147 and became the first Black out LGBTQ person ever elected to the state legislature."
Other LGBTQ+ officeholders also successfully fended off challengers, with Angie Craig retaining her office in the U.S. House for Minnesota's 2nd Congressional District, thus remaining "the first and only out LGBTQ Member of Congress from Minnesota," while Chris Pappas prevailed in "a tough reelection fight for New Hampshire's 1st Congressional District" and "remains the only out LGBTQ person ever elected to Congress from New Hampshire," Victory Fund detailed.
In Colorado, openly gay Gov. Jared Polis cruised to reelection, dealing GOP challenger Heidi Ganahl a defeat. Ganahl is a self-declared Trump supporter who has "declined to state if the results of the 2020 presidential election are legitimate," Wikipedia says.
Polis' win was not a surprise; he "held a double-digit lead heading into Election Day and was the expected winner in the governor's race," political news outlet The Hill said.
"At least 340 out LGBTQ candidates running in the 2022 midterms have won their elections as of 2:00 am, the most in U.S. history and surpassing the previous record of 336 set in 2020," Victory Fund relayed in a press release. "More victories are expected in the coming days."
"At least 1,065 out LGBTQ people ran for office this year – a historic number," Victory Fund added.
Watch Representative-Elect Garcia's speech below.
Kilian Melloy serves as EDGE Media Network's Associate Arts Editor and Staff Contributor. His professional memberships include the National Lesbian & Gay Journalists Association, the Boston Online Film Critics Association, The Gay and Lesbian Entertainment Critics Association, and the Boston Theater Critics Association's Elliot Norton Awards Committee.
