Elections are starting to ramp up in the United States leading to November’s midterms — and they look promising for Democrats.
Midterms are general elections that take place the two years after a presidential election. They focus on seats in Congress (both House and Senate), governor races, and other various state and local offices.
Many are talking about a ‘blue wave’, in which Democrats can take back majorities in federal and state governments.
Recent primary elections — narrowing the field of candidates for the general election — have shown why energy is so high.
Last night (22 May), two lesbians of color won major elections in the red state of Texas.
Gina Ortiz Jones
Jones won the Democratic primary for the 23rd Congressional district in the state. If she wins the general, she’ll become the first openly LGBTQ Congressional politician from Texas.
Jones, a lesbian, Iraq War veteran, and first-generation Filipina-America, announced her candidacy at the start of the year.
Before deciding to run for office, she served under three presidents, including Trump. When he assumed office, Jones was a director in the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative.
Her reservations about Trump and his administration is what led her to decide to run.
‘The type of people that were brought in to be public servants were interested in neither the public nor the service,’ she said. ‘That, to me, was a sign that I’m going to have to serve in a different way.’
Now, she’s facing off against Republican and two-time incumbent Will Hurd.
Lupe Valdez
Valdez has the chance to be the country’s first openly lesbian governor. Democrats voted for the former Dallas County Sheriff over her opponent, Andrew White.
She now faces off against Republican Governor Greg Abbott. He is heavily favored to win, and Texas has not elected a Democratic candidate to a statewide office since 1994, but Valdez will still fight.
When she became sheriff in 2004, she was the country’s only Latina sheriff and one of Texas’ first openly gay sheriffs.
‘Tonight Texans made history by making Lupe Valdez the first openly lesbian woman to win the gubernatorial nomination from a major political party – the latest in a series of groundbreaking wins for LGBTQ candidates in the state,’ said Mayor Annise Parker, President & CEO of LGBTQ Victory Fund.
‘Texans are voting for LGBTQ candidates because we are authentic, values-driven leaders who deliver on promises. That is why Lupe won, and we will work hard to expose Governor Abbott’s cynical politics of divisiveness and showcase Lupe’s positive agenda for Texans over the next five months.’
The midterm elections take place on Tuesday, 6 November.
