Victory Fund Announces First Round of 2019 Endorsements; Danica Roem and Jolie Justus Receive Spotlight Endorsements

Jolie Justus' Kansas City Mayoral Race & Danica Roem's Reelection are Top Priorities for Victory Fund in 2019

Washington, DC - December 13, 2018 – Today LGBTQ Victory Fund, the only national organization dedicated to electing LGBTQ leaders to public office, announced its first round of endorsements for the 2019 election cycle. Kansas City Councilmember Jolie Justus, running for mayor, and Virginia Delegate Danica Roem, running for reelection, both received Spotlight endorsements – given to races considered top priorities for the organization. Nine other LGBTQ candidates received endorsement as well, including Lori Lightfoot for mayor of Chicago and Satya Rhodes-Conway for mayor of Madison, Wisconsin.

Justus will become the first openly LGBTQ mayor of a major city in the Heartland if elected. A victory for Lightfoot would make her the first openly LGBTQ mayor of one of the three largest American cities. A win for Roem would make her one of the first trans women ever reelected in the United States.

"While many believe 2019 is an off-election year, at LGBTQ Victory Fund we are gearing up to support dozens of history-making candidates who can greatly impact state and local governments," said Mayor Annise Parker, President & CEO of LGBTQ Victory Fund. "This year we can elect an unprecedented number of LGBTQ mayors and local officials, including the first big city mayor in the Heartland, and secure the reelection of trailblazing candidate Danica Roem. For all the attention paid to the U.S. Congress, it is our state and local officials who have the most impact on the daily lives of their constituents. In 2019, we will work to ensure LGBTQ representation grows in these state and local governments."

A complete list of candidate endorsements announced today is below:

Spotlight Candidates:

Jolie Justus, Mayor of Kansas City, MO
Danica Roem (Incumbent), Virginia House of Delegates, District 13

General Candidates:

Maria Hadden, Chicago City Council, Ward 49
Lori Lightfoot, Mayor of Chicago
Satya Rhodes-Conway, Mayor of Madison, WI

Incumbents:

James Cappleman, Chicago City Council, Ward 46
Robin Kniech, Denver City Council, At-Large
Bruce Kraus, Pittsburgh City Council, District 3
Raymond Lopez, Chicago City Council, Ward 15
Deborah Mell, Chicago City Council, Ward 33
Tom Tunney, Chicago City Council, Ward 44

More information about the candidates is available at victoryfund.org/ourcandidates.

Since 1991, Victory Fund has helped thousands of openly LGBTQ candidates win local, state and federal elections.

LGBTQ Victory Fund

LGBTQ Victory Fund works to change the face and voice of America's politics and achieve equality for LGBTQ Americans by increasing the number of openly LGBTQ elected officials at all levels of government.

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