Parents with identities across the LGBTQ spectrum won elections this week in state legislatures, city governments, school boards, and more, even in states where you might not expect it! They’re part of a “rainbow wave” of LGBTQ winners, more than in any other odd-numbered election year in U.S. history, according to the LGBTQ+ Victory Fund.
As usual, I’m focusing here on LGBTQ parents because that’s my beat, and as an LGBTQ parent, I love sharing stories of LGBTQ parents doing kick-ass things. It’s not that LGBTQ parents necessarily make better elected officials or that we should vote for them simply because they’re LGBTQ parents (we should always learn about their policies and positions first)—but many offer us inspiring examples of balancing both family and service. Their visibility may also help more people to see LGBTQ parents and our children as part of the fabric of our nation.
(Candidates’ identities and “firsts” are taken from information on the Victory Fund site. My list below may not be comprehensive, as some results are still coming in, and some candidates do not post public information about their families. I’ve also included a few names in races that haven’t officially been called yet, but seem fairly conclusive.)
State Governments
Laura Jane Cohen, who is bisexual, also won election to the Virginia House of Delegates. She and her husband live with “their two kids, niece, and two dogs,” per the Victory Fund.
Joshua Cole, who is bisexual, won reelection to the Virginia House of Delegates. A husband and father, in 2019 he was the youngest person and the first Black person elected from the Fredericksburg region to Virginia’s General Assembly. His website also notes that he is “an avid Star Wars and Marvel fan,” but whether this came before or after becoming a parent is an open question….
Kelly Fowler won reelection to the Virginia House of Delegates. She was the first out bisexual woman to serve in the role, and has three children with her husband.
Fabian Nelson, who is gay, won his race for the Mississippi House of Representatives, making him the state’s first out LGBTQ state legislator. He is also a foster parent, with children in four different public schools, where he serves on all four Parent Teacher Organizations.
County and City Governments
Nicole Bolden, who is bisexual, won reelection as Bloomington City Clerk in Indiana. She was the first (and remains the only) Black LGBTQ woman to hold elected office in Indiana. She has two grown daughters.
Alison Brown, who is queer, became was the first openly LGBTQ+ woman elected to the Indianapolis City-County Council. She and her husband have a 6-year-old son.
Alison Coombs, who is bisexual, became the first out LGBTQ+ person to win a citywide seat in Aurora, Colorado, and has one child.
Zach Cramer, a pansexual man, became the first out LGBTQ+ person elected to the Lawrence Common Council in Indiana. He and his partner have a daughter.
Andrea Jenkins, who is bisexual, won reelection to the Minneapolis City Council. When she was first elected to the Council in 2017, she became the first Black transgender woman to be elected to public office in the United States. She became a parent in a previous marriage.
Susanna Johnson, who is queer, became the first woman and first out LGBTQ+ person to serve as the Snohomish County Sheriff in Washington State. She is married and “enjoys … hanging out with the kids and grandkids.”
Susan Lamb, a lesbian, was elected Fayette County Clerk in Kentucky. She and her spouse have a son and three grandchildren.
Rue Landau, a lesbian, became the first out LGBTQ person elected to the Philadelphia City Council. She and her wife Kerry received the first same-sex marriage license in Pennsylvania, when it became legal on May 20, 2014, and have a son.
Chesley Lightsey, a lesbian, was elected to the Philadelphia Court of Common Pleas. She and her wife have two children.
Will Mackintosh, a gay man, was elected to the Fredericksburg City Council in Virginia. He and his husband have two children.
Matt Mauer, a gay man, won election as a Metro Parks Tacoma Commissioner in Washington State. He and his husband have one child.
Daniel Miller, a gay man, became Harrisburg City Treasurer in Pennsylvania. He and his husband have two grown children.
Dontae Payne, a gay man, became Olympia, Washington’s first Black and first out LGBTQ+ mayor. He and his husband have one child.
Minita Sanghvi, who is lesbian and genderqueer/nonbinary, was reelected to the Saratoga Springs City Council in New York. In 2021, she became the first woman of color and the first LGBTQ commissioner elected to the position. She and her wife have one child.
David Snyder, a gay man, was elected to the Milan City Council in Michigan. He has three grown children.
Tyler Titus, a queer, transgender, nonbinary person, became the first out trans person to serve on the Erie City Council in Pennsylvania. They have two children.
Barry Walters, a gay man, was elected to the West Hartford Town Council in Connecticut. He and his husband have a teen son.
Heather Waters, who is bisexual, was reelected to the Manlius Town Board in New York, where in 2019 she was the first out LGBTQ+ person elected to the position. She and her husband have one child.
School Boards
Sheena Barnes, who is bisexual, became the first out LGBTQ+ woman of color elected to a school board in Northwest Ohio. They have three children in or graduated from Toledo Public Schools.
Ric Gordon won reelection to the Greenbelt City Council. He and his wife have four grown children and five grandchildren.
Daniel Kolbe, who is gay, became the only out LGBTQ+ person on the State College Area School Board in Pennsylvania. He and his husband have a son.
Robyn Lady, a lesbian, was elected to the Fairfax County School Board in Virginia. She and her wife have children.
Kyle McDaniel, a bisexual man, won election to the Fairfax County School Board in Virginia. He and his wife have two children.
Amelia McMillan, who is queer and gender nonconforming, became the youngest person and first out LGBTQ person elected to the Central York School Board in Pennsylvania. She and her husband have two children.
Lori Trent, a lesbian, who had been the first elected out LGBTQIA+ elected official in Upper Arlington, Ohio, was reelected to the Upper Arlington Board of Education. She and her wife have two grown sons.
I’ll observe that the majority of people above are bisexual. This accords with the fact that bisexual people make up the largest percentage of LGBTQ parents.
In Related Election News
Among other victories, Democrats won a majority on the school board in Bucks County, Pennsylvania, after several years of contentious debates on book bans and LGBTQ representation in schools. Under a Republican majority, the board had implemented a sweeping but vague book ban on “sexualized content” in library books and a ban on Pride flags. (Thanks to Stephanie Haynes, executive director of Philadelphia Family Pride, for keeping me apprised of Pennsylvania news!)
Finally, I have to note the tremendous win in Ohio, as voters conclusively made the right to an abortion part of the state constitution. Reproductive rights are queer rights, and this victory is a victory for all.
