🏳️‍🌈🏳️‍🌈 History in Texas, upcoming elections in MD & WV, and more!

The latest in LGBTQ+ Politics. [LGBTQ+ Victory Fund logo]( [The Agenda]( LGBTQ+ Stories You Should Know About Molly Cook Makes History in Texas – and is Back on the Ballot! Last weekend, Spotlight candidate [Molly Cook made history and won her special election]( She is [officially the first out LGBTQ+ member of the Texas State Senate](. She now represents District 15 for the remainder of this year’s session [after the seat was vacated by now-Mayor of Houston, John Whitmire](. Molly will face [Jarvis Johnson once more on May 28th in the runoff election]( which will determine the nominee for the November election. The winner will hold the next four-year term. Spotlight candidate Lauren Ashley Simmons will also be on the May 28th ballot. Her opponent, incumbent representative Shawn Thierry, [has a history of transphobic comments](. And it’s a recent history – [Thierry made homophobic comments in her interview for The Houston Chronicle when seeking endorsement](. Lauren, on the other hand, [successfully earned a rousing endorsement]( LGBTQ+ Candidates in Maryland and West Virginia Prepare for Election Day The Maryland Primary is fast approaching, and we have some excellent candidates, [Joe Vogel and Dana Schallheim, who could use your help! Learn more about opportunities for GOTV this weekend here]( When he wins his May 14th primary, [Joe will be one step closer to being Maryland's first out LGBTQ+ member of Congress]( But he's [facing a very crowded field first](. Meanwhile, Dana's working to beat two opponents, [one of whom is a Moms for Liberty member](. and will be the [first out LGBTQ+ person and the first Jewish person to serve on the Anne Arundel County Board of Education]( In West Virginia, [anti-trans attacks have taken over a certain political party’s primary election](. And with anti-trans hate at the top of the ticket, [it’s even more important that we elect Rosemary Ketchum as the next mayor of Wheeling, West Virginia]( Rosemary is also facing illegal attack ads – [someone is sending mailers with no paid for by disclaimers](. QUICK HITS: The News in a Moment Pro-equality elected officials in Arizona have successfully [repealed the state’s archaic, Civil War abortion ban]( LGBTQ+ representatives [Lorena Austin]( [Oscar De Los Santos]( and [Analise Ortiz]( all celebrated the repeal of the ban. [Meet all our endorsed candidates running in Arizona here]( Dave Upthegrove, running for Washington Commissioner of Public Lands, officially filed the paperwork needed to appear on the ballot! [Watch his celebration video here](. Eddy Morales, our candidate for U.S. House district OR-3, [launched his first campaign ad of the cycle]( Primary week is coming soon – May 21st! – [so Eddy is also hard at work on the campaign trail](. Our candidate for the Reno City Council, [Devon Reese]( is [also facing down homophobic mailers. As if being called a drag queen could ever be an insult!]( Incumbent candidate [Deborah Ann Begay recently spoke with the Navajo Times about her reelection campaign]( to continue being Maricopa County’s Moon Valley Justice of the Peace and the value of representation in her courtroom. [Read the full article here]( [DONATE BUTTON]( LGBTQ+ Victory Fund is the political arm of the LGBTQ+ community. Since our founding in 1991, we’ve supported and elected LGBTQ+ candidates like U.S. Senator Tammy {NAME}, Governors Maura Healey, Tina Kotek and Jared Polis and thousands of LGBTQ+ candidates around the country. We’re proud to be the only national organization endorsing pro-equality and pro-choice LGBTQ+ candidates in the United States. We’ve shattered rainbow ceilings in all 50 states and broken election records. [Meet our latest endorsements here!]( We’ve shattered rainbow ceilings in all 50 states and broken election records. [You can power our work and the next Rainbow Wave with a donation today!]( [DONATE TODAY]( [DONATE MONTHLY]( FOLLOW ALONG: [Instagram]( [Facebook]( [Twitter]( [YouTube]( Paid for by LGBTQ+ Victory Fund. Your contribution may be used in connection with federal, state and local elections and be subject to federal, state and local laws. Contributions to LGBTQ+ Victory Fund are not tax deductible. Victory Fund members do not have governance participation rights. LGBTQ+ Victory Fund 1225 I Street NW, Suite 525 Washington, DC 20005 United States This email was sent to {EMAIL}. Don't unsubscribe just yet — you can change how many & what type of emails you receive by [by updating your account here](. Unsubscribing will remove you from ALL Victory Fund email contact. If you believe you received this message in error or wish to no longer receive ANY email from us, please [unsubscribe](.