LOS ANGELES — California Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara, the state’s first and only openly LGBTQ+ statewide elected official, was re-elected to a second term on Tuesday, defeating his Republican challenger by what is predicted to be a significant margin. Lara made history in 2018 as the first openly LGBTQ+ person to be elected to statewide office in California history, and tonight makes history again as the first openly LGBTQ+ person re-elected to statewide office.
Equality California released the following statement from Executive Director Tony Hoang:
“Throughout his career, Ricardo Lara has been a trailblazing force for progress and a champion for consumers, the LGBTQ+ community, reproductive freedom, immigrants and our planet. Today, Californian’s overwhelmingly sent the message that they want Ricardo to continue fighting for them for another four years. We look forward to continuing our work together to create a world that is healthy, just and fully equal for all LGBTQ+ people.”
Equality California led a coalition of reproductive rights, labor and Latino organizations supporting Lara’s re-election through a successful $600K statewide independent expenditure campaign in the June primary, when he advanced to the November election with a Republican opponent described by the Los Angeles Times Editorial Board as “the president of an electronics manufacturing company he founded more than 40 years ago…[who] knows little about insurance.”
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Equality California is the nation’s largest statewide LGBTQ civil rights organization. We bring the voices of LGBTQ people and allies to institutions of power in California and across the United States, striving to create a world that is healthy, just, and fully equal for all LGBTQ people. We advance civil rights and social justice by inspiring, advocating and mobilizing through an inclusive movement that works tirelessly on behalf of those we serve. www.eqca.org
