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Randall, who identifies as queer, captured a U.S. House seat in Washington State's Sixth Congressional District.
Emily Randall has been elected as the first out LGBTQ+ person to represent Washington State in Congress, and also the first LGBTQ+ Latina in that body.
Randall, who is queer and currently serves as a state senator, won a U.S. House seat Washington’s Sixth Congressional District, which is in a coastal area west of Seattle. The incumbent, Democrat Derek Kilmer, did not seek reelection. Randall beat Republican Drew MacEwen in the heavily Democratic district.
Randall had 57.3 percent of the vote as of Tuesday night, while MacEwen, also currently a state senator, had 42.6 percent, about 43,000 votes less than Randall, the Kitsap Sun reports.
"We did more than win this election: we made history," Randall said in a statement. "Together, we shattered three glass ceilings. When I take office in January, I will become the first congresswoman and first person of color to hold this seat, the first openly LGBTQ person to represent Washington State in Congress, and the first ever queer Latina member of Congress."
Randall also thanked Kilmer and his predecessor, Norm Dicks, and her wife, Alison, the Sun notes.
“As an out lesbian Latina, I will rest better at night knowing that Emily Randall will be fighting for LGBTQ+ equality, racial justice, immigration reform and reproductive freedom in Congress,” said a statement from Janelle Perez, executive director of LPAC, which had endorsed Randall. “Like me, she lives at the intersection of being a LGBTQ+ Latina woman, and understands the issues that we face every day. I also know she is inspiring countless Latina girls, like my own daughters, who will know that they too can grow up to be in Congress.”
Randall also had the endorsement of the LGBTQ+ Victory Fund, Equality PAC, Planned Parenthood Action Fund, and many other progressive groups, including environmental and labor organizations.
Correction: An earlier version of this article misidentified Randall as identifying as a lesbian. She identifies as queer. We apologize for the error.
