In one of many strong showings for LGBTQ candidates—and for historically underrepresented candidates more broadly—U.S. Rep. Jared Polis became the first openly gay man elected governor of a U.S. state.
The Democrat, who had represented Colorado’s 2nd Congressional District since 2009, defeated Republican state Treasurer Walker Stapleton. The reported result was 51.5% to 44.9%.
Colorado’s result carried particular historical weight. In 1992, voters approved Amendment 2, which barred state and local governments from adopting protections based on sexual orientation. The U.S. Supreme Court struck it down in 1996 in Romer v. Evans, a landmark equal-protection ruling.
Polis thanked his family during his victory speech. His election also made him Colorado’s first Jewish governor.
A decisive Wisconsin result
The election also returned Wisconsin U.S. Sen. Tammy Baldwin to office. Baldwin, the first openly gay person elected to the U.S. Senate and the first woman from Wisconsin to serve there, defeated Republican challenger Leah Vukmir by a double-digit margin.
Contemporary results put Baldwin’s share at about 55%, underscoring the scale of her victory in a race that had drawn significant national attention.
Oregon Gov. Kate Brown, who is openly bisexual, also won reelection. Together, the results reflected a broader rise in the number of openly LGBTQ candidates seeking public office.
A broad field of candidates
Four openly LGBTQ people ran for governor in 2018: Polis in Colorado, Brown in Oregon, Lupe Valdez in Texas and Christine Hallquist in Vermont. Candidates also contested seats on school boards, in state legislatures and in Congress.
Successful U.S. House candidates included Mark Pocan of Wisconsin, David Cicilline of Rhode Island, Sean Patrick Maloney of New York, Chris Pappas of New Hampshire, Angie Craig of Minnesota, Sharice Davids of Kansas and Mark Takano of California.
A more representative Congress
The election brought wider changes in representation. Women won a record number of congressional seats, while several candidates achieved historic firsts for their states and communities.
Sharice Davids and Deb Haaland became the first Native American women elected to Congress. Rashida Tlaib and Ilhan Omar became the first Muslim women elected to the chamber. The incoming Congress also included more women, people of color and LGBTQ members than its predecessors.
Those outcomes made the 2018 midterms an important point in the continuing story of who runs for office, who wins and whose experiences are represented in government.