The 2024 election will set the stage for LGBTQ+ rights for years to come. Democratic presidential candidate Vice President Kamala Harris and her running mate Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz face the Republican ticket of former President Donald Trump and Ohio U.S. Sen. JD Vance. Harris and Walz have a history of allyship, while Trump and Vance have a history of supporting Project 2025, a conservative agenda to rework the federal government, including stripping many protections for LGBTQ+ people.
LIVE: Election Day 2024 coverage of LGBTQ+ issues
Additionally, several states have LGBTQ+ rights on the line — whether that is votes on reproductive freedom or on marriage equality. To help you understand who and what are on ballots across the country related to LGBTQ+ rights, we've pulled together this guide.
Keep up with the latest in LGBTQ+ news and politics. Sign up for The Advocate's email newsletter.
Where do Kamala Harris and Donald Trump stand on LGBTQ+ rights?
Harris has been a longtime supporter of the LGBTQ+ community, while Trump has a history of supporting and implementing anti-LGBTQ+ policies. We've giving a detailed breakdown of their positions on LGBTQ+ issues, one by one.
What states are voting on marriage equality in November?
Marriage equality may be the law of the land, but same-sex marriage bans still exist in state constitutions. Three states are voting to strike such bans from their constitutions.
How to register to vote: Here's what you need to know to participate in the 2024 election
Between racist ID laws to transphobic ones, voting can be a challenge. Approximately 825,100 transgender adults in the United States will be eligible to vote in the 2024 elections, according to a recent Williams Institute study, and an estimated 43 percent (276,500) do not have the proper identification documents that correctly reflect their name or gender. Therefore, this group "may face barriers to voting in person" due to a "mismatch with their information as listed on voter registration rolls" or "because of voter ID laws." Check out what you need to know to vote here.
Who are the LGBTQ+ candidates for Congress and judicial offices?
As of October of this year, the U.S. had 1269 out LGBTQ+ elected officials, according to the LGBTQ+ Victory Institute.
This year, hundreds of out candidates are running for elected office from school boards to Congress. Below, we've gathered out candidates for Congress as well as judicial positions. Many of these candidates have been endorsed by the LGBTQ+ Victory Fund.
California
- Robert Garcia (Democrat) is running for reelection to the U.S. House of Representatives inCalifornia’s 42nd District. As the first out LGBTQ+ immigrant in Congress, Garcia’s leadership during the COVID-19 pandemic as mayor of Long Beach set a national standard. His work in Congress focuses on healthcare access, infrastructure, and advancing LGBTQ+ rights while calling out Republicans who lie and spread hateful disinformation.
- Evan Low (Democrat) is running for the U.S. House of Representatives seat from California’s 16th District. He is currently a member of the California State Assembly. He made history in 2006 as the first gay Asian American on the Campbell, Calif., City Council, and again in 2009 when he was elected mayor of Campbell, making him the youngest Asian American mayor in the nation. Then in 2014 he became the youngest Asian American elected to the Assembly. He has been a leader on job creation, environmental protection, civil rights, and many other issues.
- Will Rollins (Democrat) is running for U.S. House of Representatives from the state's 41st District. Rollins previously worked as a former federal prosecutor concentrating on counterterrorism and counterintelligence cases in Southern California. He's run for Congress before, almost unseating the current rep Ken Calvert in 2022.
Delaware
- Sarah McBride (Democrat) is a state senator running for Delaware’s only seat in the U.S. House of Representatives. She’d be the first trans person in Congress if elected in November. McBride made history in 2020 when she became the first transgender state senator. She was previously a spokesperson for the Human Rights Campaign, a White House intern, and a staffer for several Delaware officials. As a state senator, she has helped expand Delaware’s social safety net.
Georgia
- Jane Morrison (Nonpartisan) is running for reelection as a judge on the Fulton County State Court in Georgia. In 2012, she became the first out gay person elected as a judge in the state. In her time on the court, she has presided over thousands of civil and misdemeanor criminal cases in Fulton County, which includes Atlanta. She has been a staffer and board member at Lambda Legal, and she helped found the Stonewall Bar Association of Georgia.
Kansas
- Sharice Davids (Democrat) is running for reelection to the U.S. House of Representatives in Kansas’ 3rd District. A trailblazer, Davids is one of the first two Native American women and the first outLGBTQ+ person elected to Congress fromKansas. She’s been a champion for health care reform, education, and infrastructure, working to ensure all Kansans have a voice in Washington.
Michigan
- Charissa Huang (Independent) is running for 17th Circuit Court Judge in Kent County,Michigan. A fierce advocate for civil rights, Huang has represented clients in cases involving race, gender, and sexual orientation discrimination. If elected, she’ll make history as the first out LGBTQ+ judge in Kent County, bringing much-needed diversity to the judiciary.
- Kerene Moore (Nonpartisan) is running for a judgeship on the Michigan 15th District Court in Ann Arbor. Moore, who is queer, is a social justice attorney now serving as director of conviction integrity at the Washtenaw County Prosecutor’s Office. She held positions in the Washtenaw County Circuit Court and the Michigan Department of Civil Rights after starting her career as a legal aid attorney. She is the founder of Outreach, a pro bono LGBTQ+ advocacy project with University of Michigan law students.
Minnesota
- Angie Craig (Democrat) is running for reelection to continue representing Minnesota in the U.S. House. She was the first out LGBTQ+ person elected to the U.S. House of Representatives from the state, and is an advocate for affordable housing, groceries, and health care, particularly prescription drugs.
New Hampshire
- Chris Pappas (Democrat) is running for a fourth term in the U.S. House of Representatives from New Hampshire’s First District. A gay man, he was the first out member of the LGBTQ+ community elected to Congress from the state. He serves on the Veterans’ Affairs Committee, Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, and Small Business Committee. He has sponsored legislation to support small businesses, improve access to affordable health care, assure that veterans receive benefits they have earned, combat the opioid epidemic, and protect our drinking water.
New Jersey
- Curtis Bashaw (Republican) is looking to be the first out Republican candidate elected to the Senate. The pro-choice GOP politician. He's married to former Trump adviser Michael Glassner. Bashaw faces Democrat Andy Kim, currently a member of the U.S. House.
New York
- Mondaire Jones (Democrat) is running for the U.S. House of Representatives inNew York’s 17th District. One of the two first openly gay Black members of Congress, Jones lost his reelection bid in 2022 after redistricting but is now seeking to return to Congress in 2024. Jones has been a fierce advocate for democracy, economic justice, and LGBTQ+ rights, with a track record of lowering prescription drug costs and defending progressive values.
North Carolina
- Whit Davis (Democrat) is running for reelection as a 31st District Court Judge in Winston-Salem,North Carolina. Currently presiding over juvenile delinquency and DSS cases, Davis has dedicated his career to ensuring the court system serves youth and families fairly. As an out gay man, Davis brings a crucial perspective on equality and justice to the bench in Forsyth County.
South Dakota
- Alicia Mousseau (Democrat) is seeking reelection as vice president of the Oglala Sioux Tribe in South Dakota. In that post, she works to bring support and resources to the tribe. Mousseau, a lesbian, also serves on the Indian Health Service Direct Service Tribes Advisory Committee, the National Institutes of Health Tribal Advisory Committee, and the Oglala Sioux Tribe Indian Child Welfare Act and Child Protection Services Task Force. Additionally, she works with the tribe’s water team.
Texas
- Selena Alvarenga (Democrat) is running for reelection as the 460th District Court Judge in Travis County, Texas, where she was the first out LGBTQ+ judge to be elected. She previously served as a criminal defense attorney for impoverished communities.
- Patricia Baca (Democrat) is running for 346th District Court Judge in Texas and is a former Assistant District Attorney specializing in child abuse cases. She was later promoted to Chief of Domestic Violence, serving in the role for 12 years, during which she helped create a 24-hour contact initiative.
- Maggie Ellis (Democrat) is running forTexas' 3rd Court of Appeals, Place 2. Overcoming poverty and homelessness, Ellis became a foster mother and lawyer, eventually earning rare certifications in juvenile and child welfarelaw. She stands poised to be a crucial voice on the appellate court, fighting for marginalized children and families in Texas.
- Julie Johnson (Democrat) is running for the U.S. House of Representatives in Texas’ 32nd District. Johnson made waves in 2018 when she unseated the author of the Texas Bathroom Bill and has continued to fight for healthcare access and consumer protection in the Texas Legislature. A proudlesbian, she’s been at the forefront of fighting back against anti-LGBTQ+ legislation in Texas, and would be the first LGBTQ+ member of Congress from the South.
- Kelli Johnson (Democrat) is running for reelection to the Harris County Criminal District Court, 178th District, in Texas. Johnson, the first out lesbian judge elected to this court, has been a leader in addiction recovery programs for women, working to provide alternatives to incarceration. Her groundbreaking leadership and advocacy for marginalized communities continue to shape the criminal justice system in Harris County.
Vermont
- Becca Balint (Democrat) is seeking reelection in Vermont for the U.S. House of Representatives. She was the state’s first out LGBTQ+ person and first woman elected to Congress, initially winning in 2022. She’s an advocate for mental health care, affordable housing, and LGBTQ+ youth and families.
Washington
- Emily Randall (Democrat) is running to be Washington State’s first out LGBTQ+ member of Congress. A queer Chicana, she is seeking election to the U.S. House of Representatives from the state’s Sixth District. She is currently a state senator in Washington, and she has experience as a fundraiser for a variety of nonprofit organizations, including Planned Parenthood and Boston Children’s Hospital. In the state Senate, she has helped pass legislation to expand financial aid, extend postpartum coverage under Medicaid, establish the Universal Health Care Commission, and require equity curriculum in medical schools and continuing medical education.
- Elizabeth Berns (Nonpartisan) is seeking reelection to the King County Superior Court Bench in Washington. She was first elected in 2013, shortly after becoming the Project Chair for the King County Domestic Violence and Child Maltreatment Coordinated Response Oversight Committee. She will be part of the first out LGBTQ+ couple elected in Washington.
- John Cummings (Nonpartisan) is running to become the first out gay man to serve on any bench in Pierce County, Washington. He has held leadership roles at community-based nonprofits such as the Oasis Youth Center and Tacoma Rainbow Center Board.
- Ingrid McLeod (Nonpartisan) is running for Pierce County, Wash., Superior Court judge in District 15. McLeod, a lesbian, is currently a Pierce County Superior Court commissioner, and she has been a civil litigator in private practice. She is running for judge because she wants to support the court’s ongoing work of administering justice accessibly, fairly, efficiently, and openly. She is rated highly by judges, court commissioners, and bar associations throughout Washington.
Wisconsin
- Tammy Baldwin (Democrat) is running for reelection for the U.S. Senate in Wisconsin. She was originally elected in 2012, becoming the first out LGBTQ+ U.S. Senator, and the first woman Senator in her state. She is the lead sponsor of the Women’s Health Protection Act, and a proponent of abortion rights as well as affordable health care.
- Mark Pocan (Democrat) is seeking reelection to the U.S. House of Representatives from Wisconsin’s Second District. He was first elected to the House in 2012 after serving in the Wisconsin State Assembly and the Dane County Board of Supervisors. He chairs the Congressional Equality Caucus, which focuses on LGBTQ+ rights, and he is also an advocate for workers’ rights, pension protections, access to health care, and strengthening Social Security and Medicare.
