The next Congress will include a record number of LGBTQ+ lawmakers elected to Capitol Hill, with 17 of the 18 LGBTQ+ candidates who ran for federal office securing their seats.
The New Lawmakers
U.S. Senate:
Chris Pappas — New Hampshire
New Hampshire Congressman Chris Pappas has become the first openly gay man elected to the U.S. Senate. Former Republican Sen. John E. Sununu held the Senate seat for the Granite State from 2003 to 2009 but failed to win it back.
Pappas won the Democratic-held battleground state, receiving 56% of the vote to Sununu’s 42%.
Pappas ran his campaign on several issues that proved important during this midterm election cycle, including affordability, reining in corruption across levels of government and protecting LGBTQ rights. He spoke with the Blade last week on his goals for his Senate run while addressing the historic nature of his election.
U.S. House of Representatives:
Cait Conley — NY-17
Cait Conley has defeated incumbent Republican Congressman Mike Lawler in New York’s 17th Congressional District, flipping the Hudson Valley seat for Democrats. Conley, a former Army officer who served six overseas deployments and worked on the National Security Council, campaigned on lowering costs for working families, expanding affordable housing and protecting access to health care.
NBC’s unfinished tally of the votes has Conley leading Lawler 52.2% to 47.7%, with approximately 61% of the vote reported.
There were some problems with malfunctioning voting machines in Westchester County, a largely blue area, that delayed ballot scanning and, consequently, the call for the seat, The Gothamist reported last night. Despite some of the machines not working properly, Lawler conceded the race.
Jeremy Moss — MI-11
Michigan State Sen. Jeremy Moss won election to the U.S. House, defeating Republican Ethan Baker in Michigan’s 11th Congressional District.
Moss won 60.9% of the vote to Baker’s 36.8%, according to election results confirmed by the Associated Press. Moss, who served as president pro tempore of the Michigan Senate and was the state’s first openly gay senator, campaigned on lowering health care costs, addressing affordability, protecting LGBTQ rights and holding the Trump administration accountable.
He will represent Michigan’s 11th Congressional District, a seat currently held by Democrat Haley Stevens, who surprised large swaths of the country by revoking her endorsement of Abdul El-Sayed, after losing the Senate primary.
The Blade interviewed Moss earlier in his campaign, when he emphasized his commitment to the people of Michigan and his determination to stand against Trump and MAGA Republicans in Congress.
JoAnna Mendoza — AZ-06
Marine veteran JoAnna Mendoza is highly likely to defeat Republican incumbent Juan Ciscomani in Arizona’s 6th Congressional District, flipping the highly competitive southern Arizona seat for Democrats.
The New York Times’ results showed Mendoza with 53% of the vote, compared with Ciscomani’s 45%. At the time of publishing, 88% of votes had been accounted for, which is why no outlet had outright declared Mendoza the official winner yet. Most news outlets wait until more of the vote is accounted for.
Mendoza campaigned on lowering costs for working families, creating good-paying jobs, strengthening health care access, protecting veterans’ benefits and addressing border security and immigration. She also emphasized restoring accountability and trust in government.
Marni von Wilpert — CA-48
San Diego City Council member Marni von Wilpert led Republican Jim Desmond in California’s 48th Congressional District, a competitive race for an open seat previously held by retiring Republican Congressman Darrell Issa.
Early results reported by CBS8 show von Wilpert leading Desmond by nearly 20 points, with von Wilpert holding 59.4% to Desmond’s 40.6%. This San Diego seat was among the competitive races Democrats targeted as they sought to expand their House majority.
Von Wilpert campaigned on lowering the cost of living, expanding affordable housing and health care, protecting reproductive freedom and LGBTQ rights, and holding federal immigration officials accountable.
Scott Wiener — CA-11
California State Sen. Scott Wiener is expected to win the open congressional seat in California’s 11th District, succeeding former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi. Wiener faced off against fellow Democrat Connie Chan, a San Francisco supervisor, in the race to represent the heavily Democratic district.
Associated Press results reported by The New York Times showed Wiener leading Chan 55.4% to 44.5%.
Wiener campaigned on expanding LGBTQ rights, protecting transgender Americans, lowering health care and housing costs, and reforming federal immigration enforcement. He also made passing the Equality Act a central part of his campaign platform. However, he faced issues at the beginning of his campaign, particularly surrounding the Palestinian-Israeli war, when the Jewish state senator initially refused to call what was happening a genocide, leading to some fragmented support within the Democratic Party.
J.D. Ford — IN-05
Indiana State Sen. J.D. Ford defeated Republican incumbent Victoria Spartz in Indiana’s 5th Congressional District, flipping the seat for Democrats.
Ford received approximately 51.7% of the vote to Spartz’s 48.3%, according to Associated Press results reported by The New York Times, with nearly all votes counted.
Ford, Indiana’s first openly LGBTQ state legislator, campaigned on lowering health care and housing costs, protecting Medicaid, addressing affordability and holding the federal government accountable. He also supported passing the Equality Act to establish federal LGBTQ nondiscrimination protections.
Janelle Sarauw — U.S. Virgin Islands
Former Virgin Islands Sen. Janelle Sarauw led the race to become the territory’s next delegate to the U.S. House of Representatives, defeating independent candidate Shelley Moorhead.
Unofficial territorial election results showed Sarauw receiving 13,029 votes to Moorhead’s 3,586, representing approximately 76.9% and 21.2% of votes cast for the office, respectively.
Sarauw campaigned on improving health care access, protecting Medicaid funding, lowering prescription drug costs, strengthening veterans’ services and modernizing the Government Employees’ Retirement System (GERS). She also emphasized securing stronger federal representation for the U.S. Virgin Islands.
In a statement on her Facebook page Wednesday morning, Sarauw said her heart was “heart overflowing with gratitude.”
“I love these islands with every fiber of my being, and as I prepare to carry our voices, our stories, our struggles, and our aspirations to Washington, D.C., I do so with a full heart, a humble spirit, and an abiding faith in what we can accomplish together.”
Incumbents
Sarah McBride — DE-AL
Delaware’s incumbent U.S. Representative Sarah McBride was reelected to the U.S. House of Representatives on Tuesday, defeating Republican challenger Joseph Arminio. McBride is the first openly transgender person elected to Congress.
The Associated Press called the race for McBride on election night shortly after polls closed. The New York Times shows her with approximately 64% of the vote, with Arminio holding 35%, with 95% of ballots counted.
Earlier this year, during a forum attended by both candidates, Arminio misgendered McBride multiple times and was subsequently asked to leave.
McBride campaigned on a range of issues, including affordability, health care access, immigration, reproductive health care and workers’ rights.
Earlier this year, the Washington Blade interviewed McBride, who discussed her goals for the future while reflecting on her first year in Congress.
“We need to deliver universal child care, a higher minimum wage, Medicare for all who want it, and millions of new homes. Winning the next election is not the end; we have to continue building toward a durable majority.”
Following the announcement of her win, McBride put out a statement on social media about her campaign’s main messaging in the face of Republicans’ unrelenting attacks on people like her.
“Yesterday, Delaware clearly rejected the politics of hate in favor of a politics of hope,” she wrote on instagram.
Robert Garcia — CA-42
California’s incumbent U.S. Representative Robert Garcia won reelection to another term representing the state’s 42nd Congressional District, defeating Republican challenger Brian Burley.
New York Times/AP election results showed Garcia receiving approximately 60% of the vote to Burley’s 40%.
Garcia, the former mayor of Long Beach, has focused on infrastructure, transportation, education and LGBTQ rights during his time in Congress. In the current Congress, Garcia served as the ranking member of the House Oversight Committee, where he pushed for additional investigations into the Trump-Vance administration, including its handling of the Epstein files. Following Democrats’ victories, Garcia is positioned to take over as chair of the House Oversight Committee, giving him greater authority to investigate the numerous allegations and controversies facing the president.
Becca Balint — VT-AL
Vermont’s incumbent U.S. Rep. Becca Balint won reelection to a third term in Congress, defeating Republican challenger Gerald Malloy.
The Associated Press called the race for Balint on election night. At the time, she had 65% of the Green Mountain State’s vote, compared to Malloy’s 30%.
Balint, a former teacher and Vermont state senator, centered her campaign on affordability, housing, mental health and protecting democracy. She also criticized Trump’s tariffs and the war in Iran, arguing that both were contributing to higher costs for Americans.
Emily Randall — WA-06
Washington’s incumbent U.S. Representative Emily Randall won reelection to represent the state’s 6th Congressional District, defeating Republican challenger Teresa Fox.
The AP and The New York Times called the race for Randall, whose 64% share of the vote put her securely ahead of Fox’s 35% in the Olympic Peninsula, the Kitsap Peninsula and most of the city of Tacoma.
Randall, who previously served in the Washington state Senate, made expanding access to affordable health care a central part of her campaign. She also focused on lowering costs for working families and protecting access to essential services.
Eric Sorensen — IL-17
Illinois’s incumbent U.S. Rep. Eric Sorensen won reelection to a third term in Congress, defeating Republican challenger Dillan Vancil.
The Associated Press called the race for Sorensen with approximately 70% of the vote counted. Sorensen held 60% of the vote.
Sorensen, a former television meteorologist, centered his campaign on lowering costs for working families. His priorities also included protecting health care access, supporting rural communities and addressing the economic challenges facing residents of western Illinois.
Mark Pocan — WI-02
Wisconsin’s incumbent U.S. Rep. Mark Pocan won reelection to another term representing the state’s 2nd Congressional District. Pocan ran unopposed in the general election, securing another term representing the Madison-area district.
Pocan, who has served in Congress since 2013, has focused on health care affordability, workers’ rights and LGBTQ equality. He also serves as co-chair of the Congressional Equality Caucus and is a member of the House Appropriations Committee, where he is expected to hold more leadership power in the new congressional term.
Mark Takano — CA-39
California’s incumbent U.S. Rep. Mark Takano won reelection to another term representing the state’s 39th Congressional District, defeating Republican challenger Steve Manos.
AP election results showed Takano receiving 65.3% of the vote to Manos’s 34.7%.
Takano has made health care and veterans’ issues central to his congressional work. He has also been an advocate for LGBTQ equality and serves as co-chair of the Congressional Equality Caucus.
Ritchie Torres — NY-15
New York’s incumbent U.S. Representative Ritchie Torres won reelection to another term representing the Bronx’s 15th Congressional District.
The New York Times showed Torres receiving 76.89% of the vote, with Republican challenger Stylo Sapaskis receiving 10.64%.
Torres, who previously served on the New York City Council, has centered his congressional work on housing, economic development, education and public safety.
Sharice Davids — KS-03
Kansas incumbent U.S. Rep. Sharice Davids won reelection to another term representing the state’s 3rd Congressional District, defeating Republican challenger Eric Jenkins.
According to New York Times and AP election results, Davids received 59.6% of the vote to Jenkins’ 38.4%.
Davids, a former White House fellow and attorney, centered her campaign on agriculture, lowering costs and expanding access to health care. She has also emphasized supporting Kansas businesses and working families.
The National LGBT Media Association represents 13 legacy publications in major markets across the country with a collective readership of more than 400K in print and more than 1 million + online. Learn more here: NationalLGBTMediaAssociation.com.
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