As Democrats retake control of both chambers of Congress, the United States’ midterm elections were also marked by several victories for LGBT representation, notably that of Chris Pappas, who becomes the first openly gay senator in the country’s history.
“I ask you to pretend I am on the ballot”, had said Donald Trump to his supporters before the midterm elections on Tuesday, November 3. Voters took him at his word: Republicans lose control of both chambers of Congress, suffering in the House of Representatives their heaviest defeat since 1974. In the Senate, the Democratic Party regains at least seven seats from Republicans, notably in conservative strongholds such as Texas, which hadn’t elected a Democratic senator since 1988, or Kansas, since 1932. In the House, Democrats gain at least 25 districts. A blue wave that becomes a rainbow across several states…
Several of these victories indeed bring LGBT elected officials to the federal Congress. In Indiana, J.D. Ford becomes the first openly gay man from the state to sit in the House of Representatives. A first in Michigan for Jeremy Moss. In Georgia, where local elections were also held, Bentley Hudgins becomes the first openly transgender and nonbinary person elected to the state’s Legislature. In an interview given to The Advocate in May, they explained wanting to “echo the experiences of Americans with the daily difficulties they face”.
“I am married to the man I love”
In Arizona, Democrat Joanna Mendoza, bisexual, defeats the outgoing Republican Juan Ciscomani. A former service member, she served in the Marines during the era of “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell,” a homophobic policy that forced gay service members to conceal their orientation under threat of exclusion. Finally, despite personal attacks from the Republican camp, Sarah McBride, who in 2024 became the first openly transgender woman to sit in the federal Congress, keeps her seat.
Mais la victoire la plus symbolique s’est jouée dans le New Hampshire, dans le nord-est des États-Unis. Avec 56% des voix, le démocrate Chris Pappas l’emporte face au républicain John E. Sununu. Succédant à la démocrate Jeanne Shaheen, qui ne se représentait pas, il devient à 46 ans le premier homme ouvertement gay élu au Sénat américain. En 2012, Tammy Baldwin avait déjà marqué l’histoire en devenant la première lesbienne élue au Sénat, dans le Wisconsin. En 2021, Pete Buttigieg était quant à lui devenu le premier homme ouvertement gay confirmé à un poste ministériel par le Sénat, comme secrétaire aux Transports de Joe Biden.
Issu d’une famille grecque orthodoxe pratiquante, Chris Pappas n’est pas un novice en politique. Depuis 2019, il représente le New Hampshire à la Chambre des représentants, où il s’est notamment engagé pour les droits LGBT. Devant ses partisans réunis dans sa ville natale, il n’a pas caché son émotion. “I want to thank the man by my side, my wonderful husband Vann”, a-t-il déclaré. Chris Pappas a également tenu à répondre aux attaques personnelles dont il a été la cible pendant la campagne, notamment celles visant sa vie privée : “It’s nice to know that love and truth have triumphed tonight. I am the luckiest man, because I am married to the man I love.”
