Five candidates are designated Spotlight Candidates

Washington, DC – Today LGBTQ Victory Fund, the only national organization dedicated to electing LGBTQ leaders to public office, endorsed 42 new openly LGBTQ candidates for 2020 races – including local and new state legislative candidates who can break new ground in their chambers. More than 700 openly LGBTQ people are running for office this year – the most in history – and Victory Fund has endorsed 168 of them so far.

Five candidates were awarded Spotlight Candidate status, which releases additional Victory Fund resources to support their campaigns. Spotlight Candidates are chosen because they are running to be a historic first, challenging an anti-LGBTQ opponent, or running for a high-level local or state position. New endorsees who received Spotlight Candidate endorsements include:

Brett Burman , running for Pennsylvania state Senate, who would become the first openly LGBTQ state senator in Pennsylvania;

, running for Pennsylvania state Senate, who would become the first openly LGBTQ state senator in Pennsylvania; Stephanie Byers , running for the Kansas state House, who would become the first openly trans person elected to that state legislature or any state legislature in the Midwest; and

, running for the Kansas state House, who would become the first openly trans person elected to that state legislature or any state legislature in the Midwest; and Dave Coulter, running for Oakland County Executive, who would hold the third most powerful elected position in Michigan if elected.

Previously endorsed candidates who were upgraded to Spotlight Candidate status include:

Kristen Browde , running for New York State Assembly, would be the first openly trans person elected in New York state.

, running for New York State Assembly, would be the first openly trans person elected in New York state. Ann Johnson, running for Texas state House, would be key to winning a pro-equality majority in the state House, a hotbed for anti-LGBTQ legislation.

All today’s endorsees are listed below.

Mayor Annise Parker, President & CEO of LGBTQ Victory Fund, released the following statement about the endorsements:

“We are witnessing a Rainbow Revolution in American politics – with an unprecedented number of LGBTQ candidates running in parts of the country and for high-level positions thought unthinkable just a decade ago. We can double the number of LGBTQ members of Congress, elect more trans candidates to state legislatures, and elect two big city mayors in San Diego and Baltimore. It is a promising year for our movement and for our country – and we are on-track to elect more openly LGBTQ people than at any other time in history.”

The complete list of candidate endorsements announced today is below:

2020 Spotlight Candidate Endorsements (Not Previously Endorsed):

Brett Burman

Pennsylvania State Senate, District 9

Primary: 4/28/20 General: 11/3/20

Stephanie Byers

Kansas House of Representatives, District 86

Primary: 8/4/20 General: 11/3/20

Dave Coulter

Oakland County (MI) Executive

Primary: 8/4/20 General: 11/3/20

2020 Spotlight Candidate Endorsements (Previously Endorsed):

Kristen Browde

New York State Assembly, District 93

Primary: 6/23/20 General: 11/3/20

Ann Johnson

Texas House of Representatives, District 134

Primary: 3/3/20 General: 11/3/20

2020 General Candidate Endorsements:

Selena Alvarenga

District Court Judge, 460th Judicial District (TX)

Primary: 3/3/20 General: 11/3/20

Kevin Beckner

Hillsborough County (FL) Clerk of the Circuit Court

Primary: 3/17/20 General: 11/3/20

Brett Blomme

Milwaukee County Circuit Court, Branch 5

Primary: 2/18/20 General: 11/3/20

Mary Carmack-Altwies

Santa Fe (NM) District Attorney

Primary: 6/2/20 General: 11/3/20

Casey Clowes

Tempe (AZ) City Council, At-Large

General: 3/10/20

Ty Cratic

Illinois House of Representatives, District 9

Primary: 3/17/20 General: 11/3/20

Piper Crowell

Mayor of Portland

Primary: 5/19/20 General: 11/3/20

Lyn Franks

Alaska House of Representatives, District 15

Primary: 8/18/2020 General: 11/3/2020

Ravi Grivois-Shah

Tuscon (AZ) Unified School District, At-Large

General: 11/3/20

Sonya Jaquez Lewis

Colorado State Senate, District 17

Primary: 3/17/20 General: 11/3/20

Brendan Johnson

Michigan House of Representatives, District 45

Primary: 8/4/20 General: 11/3/20

Audra Killingsworth

Wake County (NC) Board of Commissioners

Primary: 3/3/20 General: 11/3/20

Virginia Korte

Mayor of Scottsdale (AZ)

Primary: 8/4/20 General: 11/3/20

Kevin Kresch

Michigan House of Representatives, District 27

Primary: 8/4/20 General: 11/3/20

Jody LaMacchia

Michigan House of Representatives, District 46

Primary: 8/4/20 General: 11/3/20

Kate Lieber

Oregon State Senate, District 14

Primary: 5/19/20 General: 11/3/20

Mary Catherine Marubio

Circuit Court Judge of Cook County (IL), 10th Judicial Subcircuit

Primary: 3/17/20 General: 11/3/20

Andi Overton

Mayor of Hagerstown

Primary: 4/28/20 General: 11/3/20

Greg Razer

Missouri State Senate, District 7

Primary: 8/4/20 General: 11/3/20

Joy Silver

California State Senate, District 28

General: 3/3/20 Runoff: 5/12/20

Dan Smith Jr.

Pennsylvania House of Representatives, District 12

Primary: 4/28/20 General: 11/3/20

Rebecca “Puck” Stair

New Mexico State Senate, District 20

Primary: 6/2/20 General: 11/3/20

Brad Trowbridge

Circuit Court Judge of Cook County (IL), 8th Judicial Subcircuit

Primary: 3/17/20 General: 11/3/20

Jenna Wadsworth

North Carolina Commissioner of Agriculture

Primary: 3/3/20 General: 11/3/20

Jocasta Zamarripa

Milwaukee Common Council, District 8

Primary: 2/18/20 General: 11/3/20

2020 Game Changer Incumbent:

Sean Patrick Maloney

US House of Representatives, NY-18

Primary: 4/28/20 General: 11/3/20

2020 General Incumbents:

Christopher Constant

Anchorage (AK) Assembly Member, District 1 – Downtown Anchorage

General: 4/7/20

Jimmy Flannigan

Austin (TX) City Council, District 6

General: 11/3/20

Michael Forti

Circuit Court Judge of Cook County (IL), 8th Judicial Subcircuit

Primary: 3/17/20 General: 11/3/20

Mary González

Texas House of Representatives, District 75

Primary: 3/3/20 General: 11/3/20

Greg Harris

Illinois House of Representatives, District 13

Primary: 3/17/20 General: 11/3/20

Daryl Moore

Harris County (TX) District Court Judge, 333rd Civil District

Primary: 3/3/20 General: 11/3/20

Rob Nosse

Oregon House of Representatives, District 42

Primary: 5/19/20 General: 11/3/20

Joshua Query

New Hampshire House of Representatives, Hillsborough 16

Primary: 9/8/20 General: 11/3/20

Austin Quinn-Davidson

Anchorage (AK) Assembly Member, District 3 – West Anchorage

General: 4/7/20

Christopher Schwartz

County Supervisor-Black Hawk County (IA), At-Large

Primary: 6/2/20 General: 11/3/20

Ethan Sweep

Town of Berwyn Heights (MD)

General: 5/5/20

Alex Valdez

Colorado House of Representatives, District 5

Primary: 6/23/2020 General: 11/3/2020

Shanell Williams

San Francisco City College Board of Trustees, At-Large

Primary: 3/3/20 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.

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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.

victoryfund.org