NEW HAVEN, Conn. — Erick Russell is officially the Democrat candidate for Connecticut state treasurer, and he's on track to face Republican Harry Arora in November's general election. If Russell wins, history will be made.
"If elected, I will be the first openly gay, black elected statewide official in American history," Russell said in his Tuesday night victory speech.
As the crowd cheered and screamed for his win, Russell said his track to making history entails a lot more than the praises.
"But, it also comes with a responsibility that I don't take lightly," said Russell. "But, it's also a reflection of our state's commitment to picking the best person for the job no matter where you come from, what you look like or who you love."
Marty Rouse is the Sr. Director of Outreach with the LGBTQ Victory Fund, which endorsed Russell. He said his candidacy serves as a beacon for those in Black and LGBTQ+ communities.
"Just the signal he will send to young Black gay men and young people of color would show that I can do this, you can do this," Rouse said.
While the win is a step forward, it also puts a huge emphasis on "Representation Matters".
"When there are certain issues that come up that involve a community or a group of people, it's really important to have people affected by those policies sitting at the table," said Rouse.
While there has been an uptick in LGBTQ people running for elective office across the country, Rouse said there's still a gap. According to the LGBTQ institute's "Out for America Map", there are currently six out LGBTQ statewide officials in the U.S., and none of them are Black.
"We've seen a significant increase this past and the past two years," said Rouse. "But it's still a small, small percentage compared to the percentage of LGBT people that are represented in the population."
Mayor Annise Parker, President & CEO of LGBTQ Victory Fund, issued the following statement about Russell's win:
"Erick has the perfect combination of political chops, deep policy experience and grassroots support to make an effectual state executive. Voters are clearly eager to support his policy agenda to address racial and social wealth gaps and ensure all of Connecticut's residents have a fair shot at the American Dream. His success tonight is also a strong rebuke to the wave of racism and bigotry sweeping our nation. For far too long, people of color and the LGBTQ community have lacked equitable representation in government. While we have a long way to go to tackle these representation gaps, we are confident leaders like Erick will inspire many members of our community to answer the call to service and run for office."
Raquel Harrington is the race and culture reporter at FOX61 News. She can be reached at rharrington@fox61.com. Follow her on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
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