In the 2018 midterms, the number of LGBTQ people elected to Congress reached double digits. According to the Victory Fund, more LGBTQ candidates will appear on the ballot in November than ever before. Below, Tagg Magazine has compiled background information on ten badass lesbian, bisexual, and queer women running for Congress this November.
(Photo: Dani Brzozowski Campaign)
Dani Brzozowki is a queer woman running to represent the 16th District of Illinois. A first generation college graduate, activist, and organizer, Brzozowki has been endorsed by several progressive organizations including Planned Parenthood, Indivisible, and Sierra Club. If elected, Brzozowski would be the first openly LGBTQ person to represent Illinois.
(Photo: Angie Craig for Congress)
First elected to the U.S. House of Representatives in 2018, Angie Craig is the first openly LGBTQ person from Minnesota to be elected to the House and the first openly lesbian mother in Congress. Craig started her career as a newspaper reporter and eventually worked as the head of Global HR at a major manufacturer in Minnesota. Her main issues include education access, the affordability and accessibility of health care, and investments in infrastructure.
(Photo: Sharice4Congress Flickr)
Sharice Davids is running for re-election to represent the 3rd District of Kansas. Davids is both the first openly LGBTQ congressmember from Kansas and one of the first Native American women elected to Congress. A first-generation college student who went from community college to Cornell Law School, her platform includes affordable education, improving the quality of healthcare, and limiting the influence of special interests in government.
(Photo: Beth Doglio’s campaign)
Beth Doglio is a bisexual woman running to represent Washington’s 10th District. A Washington state representative since 2017, Doglio is a climate activist and the co-founder of Win With Women, a political organization that helps elect women to public office. Her main issues include climate justice, Medicare for All, affordable housing, and making an economy that works for everyone.
(Photo: Jonathan Ahl | St. Louis Public Radio)
Kathy Ellis is a lesbian running to represent the 8th District of Missouri. Born and raised in Missouri to a public school teacher and school administrator, Ellis has been a clinical social worker and addictions counselor for more than 35 years. Her platform includes universal healthcare, investing in our public schools, and reproductive justice. If elected, Ellis would be the first LGBTQ person to represent Missouri.
(Photo by David Poller, Georgette Gomez for Congress)
Georgette Gómez is a queer Latina woman who is running to represent California’s 53rd District. Gómez currently sits on the San Diego City Council, where she helped update San Diego’s affordable housing policy, strengthened protections for low-income renters, and spearheaded the implementation of the city’s Climate Action Plan. If she wins this race, she will be the first openly LGBTQ Latina elected to Congress.
(Photo by Robert Franklin, South Bend Tribune)
Pat Hackett is running to represent Indiana’s 2nd District. A teacher, attorney, and civic leader, Hackett opened her own law firm in 2006, where she practices estate planning, family law, and health care law. She has also served on several boards including the Community Foundation of St. Joseph County and the Indiana Advisory Board of the National Immigrant Justice Center. If elected, Hackett would be the first openly LGBTQ congressmember elected from Indiana.
(Photo: Mitrano for Congress)
Endorsed by Senators Elizabeth Warren and Bernie Sanders, among others, Tracy Mitrano is a bisexual woman running to represent New York’s 23rd District. Mitrano is a first-generation college student who earned a law degree from Cornell and a PhD in American history from Binghamton, and worked as a teacher and lawyer, and the director of Information Technology Policy at Cornell University. If elected, Mitrano would be the only cyber security expert in Congress.
Gina Ortiz Jones is an Iraq War veteran who is running to represent the 23rd District of Texas. The daughter of a single mother who immigrated from the Philippines, Ortiz Jones was a U.S. Air Force intelligence officer and a Director for Investment at the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative under President Barack Obama. If elected, Ortiz Jones would be the first openly LGBTQ congressperson elected from Texas and the third openly LGBTQ person of color elected to Congress.
(Photo: Kimberly Walker Facebook)
Kimberly Walker is a gay woman and a U.S. Army and Air Force veteran who is running to represent the 12th District of Florida. Born and raised in Florida by her grandmother and her mother, Walker’s campaign focuses on affordable healthcare, income inequality, and quality education. If elected, Walker would be the first Black LGBTQ woman in Congress.
