As culture wars plague local elections, LGBTQ+ candidates flock to the ballot

As conservatives in recent years have ridden culture-war issues to victory in many local political races, new data shows LGBTQ+ people may be posing a threat to those efforts by mounting challenges of their own. 

Nearly 350 candidates identifying as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender or queer have run for political office at the local level this year, according to a new report shared first with USA TODAY by the LGBTQ+ Victory Fund, a political action committee dedicated to increasing the number of queer and trans people in office. 

Because 2023 is an "off-year" election − meaning it’s neither a midterm nor a presidential election year − most races, with some exceptions, aren’t for state or federal offices. Instead, the large majority of this year’s elections, many of which will be decided next week, are for mayoral offices or seats on city or county commissions, agencies and school boards. 

Since the last off-year election in 2021, the number of out LGBTQ+ candidates running has risen by a fifth, the report says. This year, 37 queer and trans candidates threw their hats in the ring for mayoral elections, and almost 60 queer and trans people have run in local school board races. 

Those school board candidates often have to work harder than their straight competitors to gain support among voters, according to Annise Parker, president and CEO of the Victory Fund and the former Democratic mayor of Houston.

The campaign trail, especially in school board races, can be rife with misconceptions about LGBTQ+ people, she said, including inaccurate assumptions that queer and trans people don’t have kids. 

“Politics is a bloodsport,” she said. "But it is especially challenging for candidates from marginalized communities.” 

Compared with other off-year elections, the number of genderqueer and nonbinary candidates has also climbed. Only five ran for political office in 2019; this year, that number grew to nearly 40. 

Nine in 10 of the LGBTQ+ candidates running for office this year are Democrats, the report says. Their campaigns have run in 41 states and the District of Columbia.

More than just 'firsts:'LGBTQ elected officials carve space for a future generation of politicians

‘Rainbow wave’ swept country last year

Even as anti-LGBTQ+ legislation has proliferated, the number of queer and trans candidates for political office has largely increased in recent years. More LGBTQ+ candidates ran for office − and won − last year than ever before. Some dubbed it a historic “rainbow wave."

One of the contributors to systemic barriers faced by LGBTQ+ people in the U.S. is a lack data about the community. Parker’s group, for instance, has only been tracking the number of LGBTQ+ candidates nationwide for four years. Yet in those years, she said, they've continued to trend upward. 

“The right candidate with the right message can absolutely win anywhere,” she said.

Zachary Schermele is a breaking news and education reporter for USA TODAY. You can reach him by email at zschermele@usatoday.com. Follow him on X at @ZachSchermele.