The LGBTQ Caucus in the 2021 Texas Legislature (Photo by David Taffet)

A record number of LGBT candidates are running for office across Texas and across the country

DAVID TAFFET | Senior Staff Writer
taffet@dallasvoice.com

For the first time in history, out LGBTQ candidates are on the ballot in all 50 states. As a bonus, gay candidates are also running in Guam — for lieutenant governor — and in the District of Columbia, where more than 20 LGBTQ people are on the ballot, according to the LGBT Victory Fund.

A record number of out candidates, as well as a record percentager of those running, won their primaries.

At least 1,065 out people ran or are running for office in 2022. That includes 678 candidates who won their primaries — a 64 percent win rate in this election cycle. In 2020, 574 people won their primaries for a 57 percent rate of winning.

“Voters are sick and tired of the relentless attacks lobbed against the LGBTQ community this year,” Victory Fund CEO Annise Parker said. “Bigots want us to stay home and stay quiet, but their attacks are backfiring.”

Another record set this year is the number of LGBTQ people running for state legislative seats. Nationally, 416 ran for statehouse seats, the most in U.S. history. That number includes the 13 candidates who won their primaries and made it to the November ballot in Texas.

Four of the five founders of the Texas LGBT Legislative Caucus are running for re-election. That includes two from the Dallas area — Reps. Julie Johnson and Jessica Gonzalez — as well as Rep. Mary Gonzalez from El Paso and Rep. Erin Zweiner from just south of Austin.

The fifth founder of the caucus, Celia Israel, is giving up her seat to run for mayor of Austin. In the House, Israel made a name for herself on transportation issues. If she wins her current race, she would become Austin’s first LGBT mayor and the second lesbian mayor of a major Texas city after Parker, who served three terms as mayor of Houston.

Two other incumbents — Rep. Ann Johnson and Rep. Jolanda Jones, both from Houston — are also running for re-election. Johnson’s served one full term and Jones won a special election to replace long-time ally Rep. Garnet Coleman, who retired for health reasons, earlier this year.

Six additional LGBTQ candidates are running for the state House of Representatives and one for the state Senate. Of those, Venton Jones is expected to win easily in District 100, which includes the Design District, the Cedars and parts of East and South Dallas.
Shannon Elkins has a tighter race in her bid for a seat representing a Tarrant County district.

Christian Manuel Hayes is expected to win his Beaumont seat in a district that is heavily Democratic. He and Venton Jones will become the first out Black legislators. In addition, Jones will become the first HIV-positive Texas legislator.

If Madeleine Eden is elected to represent her Bastrop district, she’ll become the first transgender member of the Texas Legislature.
Two other out candidates for the Texas House are Nelvin Adriatico from Fort Bend and Justin Calhoun from New Braunfels. Eden and both Adriatico and Calhoun are Democrats running in Republican-leaning districts.

Josh Tutt is running for Texas Senate District 18 that includes a piece of Houston. But senate districts in Texas are large, with only 31 senators covering the entire state. The state now has more U.S. representatives than state senators.

Tutt’s district is currently represented by Republican Sen. Lois Kolkhorst. The district runs from Houston’s southwest suburbs to Corpus Christi. If elected, Tutt would become the first LGBTQ person elected to the Texas Senate.

Tonya Parker, one of the most respected district court judges in Dallas, is running unopposed for re-election. She was the first out Black elected official in Texas.

In federal elections, Mary Jo Woods is running against Pete Sessions to represent U.S. House District 17 in the Waco area. Claudia Zapata is running for U.S. House District 21 against incumbent Chip Roy. The district runs from Austin to San Antonio and includes areas like Fredericksburg and Kerrville to the west.

In other races around Texas, at least six LGBTQ candidates are running for judicial positions and another for justice of the peace in Harris County. Also in Houston is a gay candidate for the Houston City Council.

A queer candidate is running for justice of the peace in Round Rock, just north of Austin. And, if elected, Denise Hernandez will become the first out woman elected to a county court in Travis County.

And finally, gay candidates are running for county commissioner positions in Bell County and Williamson County.

Early voting is underway and continues through Nov. 4. Election Day is Tuesday, Nov. 8. In Dallas County, voters may vote at any early voting location and on Election Day may vote at any polling place within the county.