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Randall discussed her recent primary election victory in an interview with The Advocate.
On Tuesday, Washington state Sen. Emily Randall secured a victory in the primary for Washington’s 6th Congressional District. Garnering over 33 percent of the vote, the Democrat emerged as the frontrunner in a crowded field. As she advances to the general election, Randall stands on the brink of becoming the first LGBTQ+ Latina ever elected to Congress.
The Advocate spoke with Randall to discuss her success and the road ahead.
Related: Emily Randall poised to be first queer Latina in Congress after Washington primary win
“It’s really, really exciting,” Randall says about the election results. “We worked so hard to make sure that we got the message out and connected with voters about the issues that we knew moved them.”
Randall’s campaign has always been about more than just breaking barriers, she says. She explains that her focus has been on advocating for the issues that matter most to her constituents — whether they’re queer or not.
But for Randall, the significance of her candidacy goes beyond her legislative accomplishments: It’s about representation — being a visible leader who shares the experiences and identities of the communities she serves.
“My election to the state senate was also a historic election as the first queer woman elected to the Senate,” she notes. “But what hits me hardest is when I talk to elders in the community or young people who didn’t see leaders who looked like them or shared their experiences growing up. It’s a reminder of how important it is to have leaders who share our identities.”
Related: Emily Randall looks to be the first LGBTQ+ Latina in Congress. Today she faces her primary
Randall’s victory in the primary, where she led a field that included both Democrats and Republicans, is especially significant given the unique challenges of Washington’s jungle primary system. In this system, only the top two candidates advance to the general election regardless of party affiliation. “To come out on top in a crowded primary where only the top two get through, it’s so exciting,” Randall says.
An element of Randall’s success has been the support from Equality PAC, which has invested heavily in her campaign. Equality PAC, co-chaired by California U.S. Rep. Mark Takano and New York U.S. Rep. Ritchie Torres, has played a pivotal role in financially supporting LGBTQ+ candidates across the country. The group invested more than $700,000 in Randall’s race, the two lawmakers said. “Emily’s campaign never lost momentum,” Torres and Takano said in a statement. “And when elected in November, we will add a new voice to the Equality Caucus that will help us defend LGBTQ rights and freedoms as a part of our new Pro-Equality Majority in the House.”
Randall’s rise to prominence began in the Washington legislature, where she quickly made a name for herself as a champion of progressive causes and rapidly rose through leadership ranks, serving as deputy majority leader and chair of the Senate Higher Education and Workforce Development Committee.
With nearly 200 bills passed under her sponsorship or co-sponsorship, Randall established herself as an advocate for health care access, reproductive rights, and education reform.
For Randall, the stakes couldn’t be higher. Her potential election to Congress is not just about making history—it’s about shaping the future of American politics while serving her constituents with dignity and pride. “I’m going to work really hard to ensure that I’m bringing investments home to our community the way I did in the legislature,” she says.
In many ways, Randall’s candidacy represents a break from the traditional mold of American political leadership. She’s a queer Latina woman from a working-class background whose experiences inform her approach to governance. “When my neighbors see me show up for them, they know I’m fighting alongside them,” she explains. “I’m a regular person who lives and works alongside them, who wants to know what they care about, who wants to fight with them for better.”
But the road ahead is far from easy. As Randall prepares for the general election in November, she will face off against Republican Drew MacEwen, who won about 30 percent of the vote last week.
If Randall makes it to Washington, D.C., she’ll likely find herself sharing the halls of Congress with figures like far-right Georgia Republican Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, whose inflammatory rhetoric and bigoted views stand in stark contrast to Randall’s inclusive vision.
When asked about the prospect of working alongside figures like Greene, she says, “I don’t know how much grace I have in my heart for Marjorie Taylor Greene, but I have a lot of grace in my heart for the Republicans that remind me of my dad, who are interested in having conversations, who are interested in talking through how they got to their position and listening to how I got to mine.”
She adds, “My approach is often showing up and listening, asking ‘what do you mean?’ questions. There are times when that doesn’t work, but those conversations matter so much.”
