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America Could Have Two Lesbian Governors Come Election Season

America Could Have Two Lesbian Governors Come Election Season

Election season

Among the other important issues on the ballot this election season, some voters will have the opportunity to elect the country’s first lesbian governor. In fact, there are two potential candidates for the title: Maura Healey, who is running for governor in Massachusetts, and Tina Kotek, who is running for governor in Oregon. Healey was elected to the position of Massachusetts attorney general in 2014, becoming the first LGBTQ individual to hold such a position in the country. Kotek is the former Oregon house speaker. 

Should the candidates win their races, they will join the small group of queer Americans with the position of governor. There have been three out governors in the country’s history, and only two of them were out during their election. New Jersey’s Jim McGreevey came out in 2004, becoming America’s first gay governor shortly before resigning from office over an extramarital affair with a male aide. Oregon’s incumbent Governor Kate Brown, who was seated following predecessor John Kitzhaber’s 2015 resignation, became the first bisexual woman to hold the position. Jared Polis, governor of Colorado, was elected in 2018, making him both the first gay man to be seated as governor and the first openly LGBTQ individual to win a gubernatorial election.

Healey and Kotek are not the first queer women to run for governor; however, these runs have been largely unsuccessful. During the 2018 election, former sheriff and lesbian Lupe Valdez lost to incumbent Texas Governor Greg Abbott, and in the same year, transgender candidate and Vermont Electric Cooperative CEO Christine Hallquist lost to incumbent Phil Scott. Despite their losses, both women made history as the first lesbian and transgender gubernatorial candidates, respectively. 

The LGBTQ Victory Fund, a political action group, reported that a record 101 LGBTQ candidates are seeking congressional seats this election cycle, which is a 16% increase over the 2020 election cycle. It is speculated that the rise can be attributed to the rising number of anti-LGBTQ state laws across the country.

Kotek has described governorship as the “last line of defense” in safeguarding LGBTQ rights, as governors can veto harmful legislation or push back against discriminatory laws. Having an LGBTQ person in that position can also give the community a voice and help change minds. 

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