A great win for diversity and representation
The people of Kansas today voted in the first ever LGBTI Native American to Congress with Sharice Davids as their preferred candidate.
Davids ran for office in Kansas’ 3rd congressional district. She earned 52.8% of the vote, with 70% of precincts submitting their votes.
Her Republican opponent, Kevin Yoder, got 44.5% of the vote. The third-party candidate, Chris Clemmons (Libertarian), took 2.4% of the total vote.
Davids is a member of the Ho-Chunk Nation, a Native American tribe in Wisconsin. She has lived and worked on numerous reservations, working with multiple tribes.
From 2016-17, she was one of 16 who participated in the White House Fellowship program. That’s when her political aspirations became bigger.
‘After completing a year as a White House fellow in Washington under President Barack Obama, I know that now is the time to take action for our community and for our nation,’ she said.
On the issues, Davids boasts numerous progressive stances.
Regarding gun violence, she believes the country ‘must demand more than condolences from our lawmakers’. Further, she said politicians must enact legislation for gun safety laws.
She’s also highly trained in martial arts.
Possibility for more progressive legislation
Actor and comedian Billy Eichner, who has been vocal about the midterm elections and began his own program, Glam Up the Midterms, congratulated Davids on her win.
Numerous races throughout the country are still being determined. For Democrats, their eyes are set on taking back control of the House of Representatives, which Davids’ win helps possibly achieve.
‘Sharice Davids made history tonight as the next congresswoman from Kansas, showing the Trump-Pence administration that LGBTQ people of color are here, visible and that our fight for equality continues to move forward,’ said Human Rights Campaign President Chad Griffin.
‘We look forward to working closely with Congresswoman Davids to pass commonsense federal protections for LGBTQ people through the Equality Act.’
One of the biggest hopes with Democrats taking back the House is movement on the Equality Act, as Nancy Pelosi affirmed.
by Anya Crittenton
Source – Gay Star News
