The LGBTQ Victory Fund is a political action committee that works to elect LGBT candidates to public office on the state, local, and national level. The vast majority of candidates it works to elect are Democrats. The fund is the sister organization of the LGBTQ Victory Institute.

In 2019, the fund endorsed then-Mayor of South Bend, Indiana, Pete Buttigieg (D) for President. Buttigieg, a Democrat, was the first openly gay major candidate for the presidential nomination of a major political party. ¹

In 2020, the fund spent $402,936 towards candidates who ran for office and to other organizations who support candidates on the national, state, and local level. Virtually all the money donated was given to Democratic Party candidates and affiliated organizations. ²

Overview

The LGBTQ Victory Fund is a political action committee that works to elect LGBT candidates to public office on the state, local, and national level. While the organization bills itself as nonpartisan, virtually all the candidates it supports are Democrats. ³

The organization was founded on May 1, 1991, as the Gay and Lesbian Victory Fund. The inspiration for the organization was the success of the left-of-center feminist organization EMILY’s List in attracting and supporting women candidates for elected office. In that year, the fund scored its first success in electing Sherry Harris, a Black lesbian, to the Seattle City Council. ⁴

In 2018, the organization spent nearly $800,000 to support federal candidates and related committees. As part of that spending, it spent a little over $200,000 on independent expenditures. ⁵

2018 also saw what the organization described as a “rainbow wave” of openly LGBTQ candidates elected to office nationwide. The wave continued as the organization endorsed the most candidates it ever has in the 2020 election cycle. ⁶

In 2019, the organization endorsed its first-ever presidential candidate. Then South Bend Mayor Pete Buttigieg (D) was the first openly gay major candidate for a major party presidential nomination. The organization described Buttigieg as the “anti-Trump” and claimed he was the one who was best suited to take on then-President Donald Trump in the 2020 presidential election. ⁷

In 2021, the organization played a role in the redistricting process. It advocated for lawmakers to keep LGBTQ neighborhoods together when drawing new lines for congressional and legislative representation. ⁸

In November 2021, the organization’s political director, Sean Meloy, announced a bid for the U.S. House as a Democrat from Pennsylvania. If elected, he would have been the first openly gay member of Congress from Pennsylvania. He was defeated in his May 2022 primary. ⁹

In 2022, more than 600 LGBTQ candidates were on the ballot according to the organization. Of those candidates, 101 were running for the U.S. Congress. It was a 16.1% increase in congressional candidates from 2020. Its highest profile winner in the 2022 cycle as of June is Tina Kotek, who won the Democratic nomination for Oregon governor. ¹⁰

Endorsement Criteria

In order to receive an endorsement from the organization a candidate must be openly LGBTQ, pro-abortion, support advancing LGBT interests through the legislative and regulatory process, and demonstrate community support and a realistic chance of winning. ¹¹

The organization is strongly pro-abortion since it sees the legal right to abortion as a part of the right to privacy. The right to privacy is also seen as a bedrock of LGBTQ rights. ¹²

Leadership

The president and CEO of the organization is the former mayor of Houston Annise Parker (D). She was the first openly gay or lesbian mayor in Houston’s history. Parker had received support from the organization all throughout her political career. ¹³

The chair of the One Victory board, which oversees both the fund and the institute, is Chris Abele. He is a former Milwaukee County executive. ¹⁴

The chair of the fund is Wade Rakes. Rakes is a businessman and in 2016, he was elected as a delegate to the Democratic National Convention. ¹⁵

Finances

As of April 2022, the fund has raised $164,486 and spent $110,147 in the 2022 election cycle. ¹⁶

1. “LGBTQ Victory Fund Endorses Pete Buttigieg For President”. ABC News. June 28, 2019 https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/wireStory/buttigieg-plans-big-fundraising-weekend-victory-fund-event-64016907.
2. “LGBTQ VICTORY FUND FEDERAL PAC – Committee Overview – FEC.Gov”. Federal Election Commission. Accessed May 23, 2022. https://www.fec.gov/data/committee/C00476978/?cycle=2020.
3. “LGBTQ VICTORY FUND FEDERAL PAC – Committee Overview – FEC.Gov”. Federal Election Commission. Accessed May 23, 2022. https://www.fec.gov/data/committee/C00476978/?cycle=2020.
4. “Our History”.  LGBTQ Victory Fund. Accessed May 23, 2022 https://victoryfund.org/about/history/.
5.  “LGBTQ VICTORY FUND FEDERAL PAC – Committee Overview – FEC.Gov”. Federal Election Commission. Accessed May 23, 2022. https://www.fec.gov/data/committee/C00476978/?cycle=2018.
6. Rivera, Angel. “LGBTQ Victory Fund Endorses More Candidates Than Ever”. OUT FRONT. Nov. 27, 2019 https://www.outfrontmagazine.com/lgbtq-victory-fund-endorses-more-candidates-than-ever/.
7. “LGBTQ Victory Fund Endorses Pete Buttigieg For President”. ABC News. June 28, 2019 https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/wireStory/buttigieg-plans-big-fundraising-weekend-victory-fund-event-64016907.
8. [1] Kavi, Aishvarya. “As Redistricting Process Begins, Advocates Push For States To Keep L.G.B.T.Q. Communities In Mind.”. New York Times. Nov. 8, 2021 https://www.nytimes.com/2021/08/11/us/politics/lgbtq-redistricting-elections.html.
9. Johnson, Chris. “Sean Meloy, Politics Guru For LGBTQ Victory Fund, Declares Run For Congress”. Washington Blade. Nov. 9. 2021 https://www.washingtonblade.com/2021/11/09/sean-meloy-politics-guru-for-lgbtq-victory-fund-declares-run-for-congress/.
10. Westerman, Ashley. “Tina Kotek’s Win Comes Amid A Wave Of LGBTQ Candidates Running For Office”. National Public Radio. May 18, 2022 https://www.npr.org/2022/05/18/1099681767/tina-koteks-win-comes-amid-a-wave-of-lgbtq-candidates-running-for-office.
11. “Endorsements”. LGBTQ Victory Fund. Accessed May 23, 2022. https://victoryfund.org/about/endorsements/.
12. LeDonne, Sarah. “The Fight For Reproductive Justice Is The Fight For LGBTQ Equality”. LGBTQ Victory Fund. May 4, 2022 https://victoryfund.org/the-fight-for-reproductive-justice-is-the-fight-for-lgbtq-equality/.
13. Armus, Teo. “Former Houston Mayor Annise Parker To Lead LGBTQ Victory Fund, Victory Institute”. NBC News. Dec. 9. 2017 https://www.nbcnews.com/feature/nbc-out/former-houston-mayor-annise-parker-lead-lgbtq-victory-fund-n827746.
14. “Chris Abele”. LGBTQ Victory Fund. Accessed May 23, 2022. https://victoryfund.org/team/chris-abele-2/.
15. “Wade Rakes”.  LGBTQ Victory Fund. Accessed May 23, 2022. https://victoryfund.org/team/wade-rakes/.
16. “LGBTQ VICTORY FUND FEDERAL PAC – Committee Overview – FEC.Gov”. Federal Election Commission. Accessed May 23, 2022. https://www.fec.gov/data/committee/C00476978/?cycle=2022.