The lavender wave keeps growing. In addition to Chris Pappas, out lesbian Angie Craig will be entering Congress next January. Craig’s victory was especially sweet, as she defeated incumbent Jason Lewis. Lewis was an outspoken bigot who once compared LGBTQ people to racists.
Craig defeated Lewis in a suburban Twin Cities district. The seat had been considered a good prospects for Democrats, as it barely went for President Trump two years ago.
The win was also a kind of revenge for Craig. She ran against Lewis in 2016 and lost by two percentage points. This time around, she won by a comfortable margin.
“Tonight Minnesota voters chose an authentic, solutions-oriented business leader to replace a divisive anti-LGBTQ demagogue – sending a powerful message to all incumbent legislators who attack LGBTQ people and other communities in hopes of political gain,” Annise Parker, President & CEO of LGBTQ Victory Fund, said in a statement.
The news wasn’t as good for three other Victory Fund endorsed Congressional candidates. Iraqi War veteran and intelligence officer Gina Ortiz Jones lost in a close race to Rep. Will Hurd to represent their southwestern Texas district.
Tracey Mitrano lost by about ten percentage points in her race to defeat incumbent Rep. Tom Reed in their upstate New York district. And in Ohio Rick Neal lost by nearly 20 percentage points to incumbent Steve Stivers.
