Analysis | Record numbers of diverse candidates elected to Congress
As the House of Representatives and Senate continue to announce this year’s elected candidates, record-breaking numbers of women, BIPOC and LGBTQIA+ individuals – like Sarah McBride (left) – won congressional seats. Photos from WikiCommons
As votes for the 2020 general election trickle in, congressional candidates continue to compete for seats in both the House of Representatives and the Senate. However, this year’s federal candidate registration has featured a twist: a massive uptick in diversity.
With a record 234 women competing in the 2018 midterm elections for seats in the House of Representatives, this year’s 2020 general election witnessed a greater than 27% increase from that number in the amount of female candidates, reaching a total of 298. According to The Hill, the number of female Republican nominees in particular increased by 80%, signaling a historic moment in GOP history.
In addition, over 1,000 members of the LGBTQIA+ community ran for different positions within public office this election cycle, a turnout never before seen in the United States and a 41% increase from the 2018 midterms. At least six transgender candidates have been announced to office as results continue to be revealed, marking the first time that transgender individuals have held positions as state legislators.
At least 130 Black women are congressional candidates this year as well, 117 of whom are vying for the House and the other 13 pushing for the Senate. Altogether, this encompasses the largest number of Black female candidates in any election year for both political parties in either the House or Senate. This feat is unprecedented given the nation’s history: out of 1984 total legislators that have served in the Senate, only 10 have been Black.
The Panther has compiled information on a few of the diverse candidates elected into office this year that contributed to the list of firsts for the U.S. Congress.
Mauree Turner
Raking in 71% of the votes in Oklahoma’s 88th Congressional District, Democratic candidate Mauree Turner defeated Republican candidate Kelly Barlean by a wide margin, marking her as the first nonbinary state legislator in the U.S. and the first Muslim to work in Oklahoma legislature. Having worked as the regional field director for the Campaign for Smart Justice, a facet of the American Civil Liberties Union, Turner’s primary focus has been directed toward intersectionality between racial justice, criminal justice reform and protecting the freedoms of marginalized groups.
Sarah McBride
Democratic candidate Sarah McBride became the first transgender person to serve as a state senator and the current highest-ranking transgender government official in the United States. Endorsed by Democratic incumbent Harris McDowell, McBride defeated Republican candidate Steve Washington with about 73% of the vote. Her election in Delaware also awards McBride the legacy as the first publicly-identifying LGBTQIA+ congressional candidate in the state. McBride’s political history stems back to her time working in the White House during the administration of former President Barack Obama. She works to promote advocacy for the LGBTQIA+ community.
Stephanie Byers
Running unopposed in the Democratic primaries, Democratic candidate Stephanie Byers competed against Republican Cyndi Howerton for a seat in Kansas’s 86th Congressional District, winning by a narrow 8.8% margin with a total of 54.4% of the vote. Her win categorizes her as the first transgender Native American woman to serve this position in the country. Byers’ work includes advocacy for the LGBTQIA+ community and hands-on practice in the Kansas public education system.
Ritchie Torres
Democratic candidate Ritchie Torres won the popular vote with a monumental 88.2%, becoming the first gay Afro-Latino individual elected to Congress after winning a seat in the House of Representatives for New York’s 15th Congressional District, the poorest congressional district in the country. Running against Republican candidate Patrick Delices, the blue-leaning state opted for Torres, whose childhood was spent growing up in poverty in the Bronx. He made history as the youngest elected official in New York City, appealing to voters through efforts aiming to address the racial implications of economic disparity in America.
Mondaire Jones
Joining Torres as one of two openly gay Black members of Congress, Democrat Mondaire Jones secured a spot in the House of Representatives for New York’s 17th Congressional District over his Republican competitor, Maureen McArdle Schulman, with 54.3% of the popular vote according to The Associated Press. Jones possesses a thorough history in litigation and served in the Office of Legal Policy in the Department of Justice under the Obama Administration. Similar to Torres, his background as a low-income New York resident makes government financial assistance a priority in his campaign, specifically his goal to provide more COVID-19 relief stimulus checks once in office.
Michele Rayner-Goolsby
Representing Florida’s 70th Congressional District, Michele Rayner-Goolsby goes down in history as the first LGBTQIA+ Black woman elected to any form of public office in the Sunshine State, let alone the Florida House of Representatives. Having a strong background in civil rights and social justice, Rayner-Goolsby’s academic breadth and experience working at her own law firm earned her the seat over her three opponents with about 30% of the total vote.