Annise Parker serves as CEO of the Victory Institute.
When Bill Nelson ran for Dallas City Council in the 1980s, he could look to only one successful high-profile campaign by a gay man to public office — that of Harvey Milk. Today, almost 1,000 LGBTQ people hold public office in the U.S. spread across every state except Mississippi, according to a report by Victory Institute.
Between 2020 and 2021, the number of LGBTQ elected officials increased by 17 percent.
LGBTQ elected officials include:
2 governors
2 U.S. senators
9 U.S. representatives
189 state representatives and senators
56 mayors
601 local officials
121 judicial officials
By party affiliation, about 73 percent are Democrats. Of those in office in 2021, 26 officials are Republican. The rest are independent or party affiliation unknown. Those LGBTQ officials elected to local positions in Texas would come under unknown or independent, because local elections in Texas are non-partisan.
Victory Institute notes that transgender men and women are making electoral gains. Just a few years ago, Jess Herbst, former mayor of New Hope in Collin County, was the highest elected trans official in the country. Today, there are more trans people holding office than LGBT Republicans in office.
— David Taffet
