I am a firm believer that every vote matters. In the terrifying 2016 election, an estimated 231,556,622 of eligible voters did not vote at all. In a system based on electoral votes rather than the popular vote (I’ll save that soapbox for another day) these votes can and will change the course of American history. This year, we have a nearly unprecedented ballot for November 6th. The first black woman to be nominated for governor (Stacey Abrams), the only open LGBTQ woman elected for the City of Atlanta (Park Cannon), the first openly gay man elected to office in Georgia (Sam Park), as well as a glorious amount of open LGBTQ candidates for other local offices.
In the 2016 election, 85% of legislative races in Georgia were unopposed, many of whom were Republican. For the 2018 election, we have progressive candidates running for many of these seats. The midterm ballots can be a little intimidating. We’ve all seen the campaign ads for Stacey Abrams, who is “too extreme for Georgia,” according to commercials from Brian Kemp, who apparently points guns at people. But I haven’t seen any commercials for Commissioner of Agriculture or Public Service Commission District 5. There are large amounts of candidates for each individual district, and I encourage you to check out Georgia Equality Pac for a thorough list. Following are the statewide nominees that Georgia Equality Pac has endorsed.
Governor:
Stacey Abrams
“I am proud to have earned Georgia Equality’s endorsement, and am privileged to have been a strong ally to the LGBTQ community in the legislature. I have a vision for Georgia where equality fosters prosperity, and every family has the opportunity to succeed – not just survive. LGBTQ Georgians are critical partners in ensuring that vision becomes a reality. “
Lt. Governor:
Sarah Riggs Amico
“I am running to be the next Lt. Governor of Georgia to improve the lives of all Georgians. This includes protecting the LGBTQ community from discrimination. Individuals should be able to pursue their goals no matters what they look like, how they pray, or who they love. Although I attend an Evangelical Christian church, I have always been vocal in my disagreement with their anti-LGBTQ stances. I am not afraid to stand up for what is right.”
Secretary of State:
John Barrow
“From the time that I was in college through my time in Congress, I’ve worked with members of the LGBT community to promote equal rights. I’ve spent my life working to make life better for folks all over east Georgia and south Georgia, and I’d be honored to have the opportunity to make it easier to do business, protect the right to vote, and ensure the security of our elections from fraud and foreign interference.”
Attorney General:
Charlie Bailey
“The Attorney General is supposed to be the one entity above all that is entrusted to protect the people of Georgia. That is my first and only priority as Attorney General. Whether it is protecting Georgians from gangs, stopping scammers, standing up to Federal overreach, or ending discrimination I am here to protect every Georgian. If some of us are not protected, none of us are.”
Labor Commissioner:
Richard Keatley
“Working in higher education over the past twenty years, I have developed many close relationships with LGBT students and friends and am acutely aware of the challenges they often face at home and in the workplace.”