LGBTQ+ Groups Celebrate “Rainbow Wave” of Queer Candidate Victories
The expected red wave may have only hit certain parts of the U.S., but a rainbow wave seems to have swept across the country.At least 340 LGBTQ+ candidates won their elections in the 2022 midterms, according to the LGBTQ Victory Institute, an organization that supports queer candidates.
The previous record in 2020 saw 336 out candidates win.The organization estimates that around 1,065 LGBTQ+ people ran for office in this election, which is a historical number.
The group also found that to reach equitable representation, the voters need to elect more than 35,000 more queer candidates to office.Tuesday’s election also made history as the first time that LGBTQ+ candidates were on ballots in every state.
California had the most out candidates of any state, with 178, while Mississippi was last among the 50 states, with one. In addition to out candidates in all 50 states and the District of Columbia, there were known LGBTQ+ candidates in the territories of Guam and the U.S.
