We’re not going to lie to you — last night was rough, but it wasn’t all bad. Not only did a number of LGBTQ+ candidates make history by getting elected, but there were also some truly heinous Republicans who lost big.
From “Black Nazi” Mark Robinson to the MAGA-obsessed Kari Lake to delusional Republicans like Drew MacEwen, some Republicans thought they would be taking home the crown but ended up leaving the election empty-handed. And what’s even better is that some Republicans lost to members of the LGBTQ+ community who made history with their victories.
We were hoping to be celebrating today, but since that’s not happening and we could all use a little catharsis in our lives right about now, let’s take a look at Republicans who lost their elections.
Lev Radin/Shutterstock
Republican and MAGA queen Kari Lake was sure she would snap up an Arizona Senate seat, but she was dead wrong. Democrat Rep. Ruben Gallego managed to beat back her election denial claims, love of Donald Trump, and anti-LGBTQ+ rhetoric. This was a critical Senate seat for Democrats to grab because Lake and Gallego were duking it out for Sen. Krysten Sinema, a former Democrat turned independent who opted out of seeking reelection.
Maxim Elramsisy/Shutterstock
Republican and self-professed “Black Nazi” Mark Robinson lost his race to become the next governor of North Carolina to Democrat Josh Stein. This is a right-wing loss worth a huge celebration, considering Robinson has continually made headlines for making anti-LGBTQ+ remarks and anti-Semitic comments about the Holocaust and promoting reading Adolf Hitler, which makes it extra satisfying that Stein will be the first-ever Jewish governor of North Carolina.
Not only did Republican John Whalen III lose Delaware’s sole seat in the U.S. House of Representatives, but he lost to Sarah McBride, making her the first out transgender member of Congress.
infographic via Montana Free Press
Republican Barbara Starmer tried and failed to beat out incumbent Zooey Zephyr for a seat in the Montana House of Representatives. It was unclear whether Zephyr would win reelection, considering the transgender politician had been sanctioned by Republicans who wanted to keep her from speaking on the floor of the state legislature about a conservative ban on gender-affirming care for youth. But not only did Zephyr win, she trounced her opponent, taking home 83 percent of the vote.
Texas Republican Darrell Day was running for a seat in the U.S. House of Representatives but lost to current Texas State Rep. Julie Johnson, making her the first out LGBTQ+ person elected from the South.
Courtesy Friends for Drew MacEwen
Republican Drew MacEwen, a current state senator, lost his election to represent Washington’s Sixth Congressional District in Congress to Emily Randall. His hubris that he could win in the heavily Democratic district was proven to be folly, making Randall the first LGBTQ+ Latina in the House.
