Washington’s senator is leading the way in the congressional race, as well as championing progressive representation, as the likely pick to become America’s first gay, Latina member of Congress.
On Track to Congress
Washington State Sen. Emily Randall is on track to achieve a historic win for LGBTQ and Latin-American representation as the first queer Latina woman in US Congress.
A Major Win
Randall came out on top in the Democratic primary for Washington’s 6th Congressional District on August 6 this week, according to official results from Washington’s secretary of state.
33% of the Vote
With 33.85% of the vote, Randall beat out her Republican rival, Drew MacEwen, by a slim margin. MacEwen received 30.32% of the vote.
Heading to the November Election
Now, Randall will be heading to the general election in November, where she will seek to succeed Congressmember Derek Kilmer (D-Gig Harbor) as the representative of Washington’s Puget Sound region.
Franz in Third Place
While Kilmer initially endorsed Democrat public lands commissioner Hilary Franz to take his place, Franz came in third place with just 25.66% of the state vote.
Celebrating Her Success
Randall took to social media and released a public statement celebrating her success and thanking her supporters and state voters.
“A Positive and Unifying Campaign”
“I am thrilled that we won the primary and are moving on to the general election, and that we did it with a positive and unifying campaign,” she said in an August 8 statement.
Thanks to Grassroots Support
“Since we launched our campaign last fall, I’ve been overwhelmed and overjoyed by the outpouring of grassroots support from across the 6th Congressional District,” she added.
Rejoicing For Representation
Now, LGBTQ and Latin-American communities across the state and even the wider nation are rejoicing at the very real possibility that Randall might go on to become the first queer Latina ever elected to Congress.
Embracing Her Identity
And Randall hasn’t shied away from the significance of her identity – at all. She has said she is working hard to “make history as the first queer Latina member of Congress, and keep delivering results for regular, working people.”
Advocacy Groups Support Her
Her ascension to one of the highest legislative positions in the country would be a significant achievement for LGBTQ and Latin-American representation, and many advocacy groups have rallied to support her.
LPAC
LPAC is an organization that seeks to further the rights of LGBTQ people worldwide through elevating the presence of queer women and nonbinary people in politics. It has loudly supported Randall’s quest to Congress.
“A Tireless Advocate”
“Today, the voters of Washington’s 6th Congressional District made clear that Emily Randall is exactly the kind of leader they want to represent them in Congress: a tireless advocate with deep roots in her community,” said LPAC executive director Janelle Perez in a public statement.
Randall Is Making History
“This primary victory is a significant step toward Emily making history as the first LGBTQ Latina elected to the U.S. Congress,” she continued.
Lawmakers Support
As well as being openly supported by other LGBTQ advocacy groups like the Human Rights Campaign, the LGBTQ+ Victory Fund, and the Equality PAC, she has also received endorsements from her fellow lawmakers.
Peer Endorsements Roll in
Patty Murray, a Democrat and senior U.S. senator for Washington State, has openly endorsed her. In recent weeks, former Washington governors Gary Locke and Christine Gregoire have also voiced support for Randall.
Backpedaling Support
Even Franz – who previously attacked Randall for the large amount of PAC funding her campaign has received, which included $1.5 million in ad expenses – appears to have come around.
“Time For All of Us to Work Harder Than Ever”
“I’ve called Senator Randall to congratulate her on her historic primary win, and it is time for all of us to work harder than ever so we can flip the House, defeat Donald Trump, and defend our democracy,” Franz said in her public statement.
Not the First Time
If Randall is elected to Congress, it would not be the first time she has made US government history. Back in 2018, she was elected to the state’s 26th Legislative District, making her the first queer senator in the history of Washington state.
Rising Through the Ranks
The comparatively young politician – she is around 38 years old – first sought public office in 2016 following the election of Donald Trump as US president. At the time, she was a community worker and activist. Since then, she has risen quickly through the ranks of the US political system.
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Featured Image Credit: Shutterstock / mark reinstein.
The images used are for illustrative purposes only and may not represent the actual people or places mentioned in the article.
