Victory Fund
endorsements yield 67 winners

The Gay and Lesbian Victory Fund announced that 67 of the LGBT candidates it endorsed were elected to state, federal, and local offices in Tuesday's midterm election. Some of these officials have made history as being the first LGBT candidate ever elected to office for their respected state and legislative body.

"This is the tipping point election for openly gay candidates," said Chuck Wolfe, president and CEO of the Victory Fund. "We're proving that qualified, well-prepared candidates matched with committed donors means gays and lesbians can move from having a stake in policy to actually making policy. There's no reason to sit on the sidelines with our fingers crossed anymore."

Five candidates who are among the first LGBT candidates to hold office in their state are Patricia Todd, who will represent district 54 in the Alabama state house; Kathy Webb, who will represent district 37 in the Arkansas state house; Henry Fernandez, who won a seat on the Lawrence Township, Ind., school board; Al McAffrey, who will represent district 88 in the Oklahoma state house; and Jolie Justus, who will represent district 10 in the Missouri state senate.

Honorable mentions go to Ken Keechl, who won a seat on the Broward County commission in Florida, beating a candidate appointed by Gov. Jeb Bush; Ed Murray, who will represent district 43 in the Washington State senate; Matt McCoy, who is the first gay candidate elected to the Iowa legislature; Jamie Pedersen, who becomes the third consecutive openly gay person to be elected to represent district 43 in the Washington Statehouse; and Judge Virginia Linder, who is joining openly gay justice Rives Kistler on the Oregon supreme court (The Advocate).