This story is published in partnership with the Queer News Network, a collaboration among 11 LGBTQ+ newsrooms to cover down ballot elections across 10 states. Read more about us here.
Over the last few election cycles, the U.S. has seen more and more candidates that openly identify as LGBTQ+, with another 1300 people who identify as LGBTQ+ currently in office nationwide — an increase of almost 200% since 2017.
Pittsburgh has had LGBTQ+ officials before: In 2007, Bruce Kraus was the first openly LGBTQ+ person elected to public office in Pittsburgh. In addition, State Sen. Jim Ferlo was elected in 2002 but he did not come out until a few months before his retirement in 2014. A year later, Hugh McGough was the first openly LGBTQ person elected as judge in Pittsburgh in 2015.
Ian Price, the Steel City Stonewall Democrats president, said the moment is a long time coming: “The LGBTQIA+ is a core constituency in the Pittsburgh region, and the increase in political candidates is long overdue.”
But he argued that more representation is needed.
“We need to do more to encourage and support members of the trans community running for office,” Price said.
Today, Pennsylvania currently has 63 openly queer people serving in an elected office. But that total number could change with this election: In the Pittsburgh area, there are three LGBTQ+ candidates up for re-election and one running for the first time.
Here’s a snapshot of who you might see on your ballot.
Jessica Benham
Hometown: Pittsburgh, PA
Current Office: State Representative of District 36 (Allegheny County), running for re-election
Benham has multiple degrees: a Bachelor’s in Arts degree from Bethel University, a master’s degree in Communication from Minnesota State University, another master’s degree in Bioethics from University of Pittsburgh, as well as a doctoral degree in Communication from the same university.
Benham has been open about having autism and helped establish and create the Pittsburgh Center for Autistic Advocacy, which is an LGBTQIA+ autistic-led advocacy group. She also advocated heavily for Paul’s Law, which prevents people with disabilities from being ruled out from receiving organ transplants.
Benham was elected in 2021 and was the first bisexual woman elected to the state legislature. Since joining office, she’s advocated for disability rights, access to healthcare and abortion rights.
Benham is a co-chair of the Pennsylvania LGBTQ Equality Caucus and a member of the Health, Human Services and Aging and Older Adult Services Committees. As a part of that committee, she sponsored a bill aimed to help local pharmacies compete with corporate chains and stabilize prescription drug costs. That bill was signed into law by Governor Shapiro this year.
She is currently seeking her third term.
Abigail Salisbury
Current Office: State Representative of District 34 (Allegheny County); running for re-election
Salisbury was elected in 2023 during a special election and is the first openly LGBTQIA+ member elected in her district and currently the only Jewish woman member of the PA house.
Since taking office, Salisbury helped found and co-chair the Pennsylvania Charitable Nonprofit Caucus, a bipartisan effort to aid and assist non-profits. She has sponsored a bill to handle abandoned buildings, municipal grants, and secured 10 million for the replacement of lead pipes.
A graduate of the law school at the University of Pittsburgh, Salisbury has practiced international law and had her own firm representing non-profits and small businesses.
La’Tasha D. Mayes
Current Office: State Representative of District 24 (Allegheny County); running for re-election
Mayes grew up in Philadelphia and moved to Pittsburgh to attend the University of Pittsburgh. When she was elected in 2022, she became the first woman to represent her district and the first lesbian to serve in the PA General Assembly.
Prior to holding office, she was a well-known advocate for reproductive justice. She is the founder and former president and CEO of New Voices for Reproductive Justice, a nonprofit advocating for the health of Black women and non-gender conforming people. She is also co-founder and co-chair of the Pennsylvania Black Maternal Health Caucus.
This year, she helped lead the charge to pass the CROWN act, a law against hair discrimination and recently called for the state senate to pass expansion of contraception. In 2023, she sponsored bills to add pumping to Pennsylvania’s Freedom to Breastfeed Act, remove barriers to abortion, and establish newborn and maternal health kits.
Ashlee Caul
Running For: State Representative District District 15 (Beaver County)
Caul currently lives in Independence Township with her wife.
Prior to running for office, she was the Beaver County Democratic Committeewoman in 2018 and held a number of volunteer roles for local organizations including chairing the local chapter of Fair Districts PA. The district Caul is running in has historically been Republican, but she hopes to change that this election year.
If elected, she wants to increase funding of the Pennsylvania Farm Bill, which aims to help build the agricultural businesses of the state. She also wants to restructure the current tax system to have “fair funding” for school districts, give volunteer fire departments proper equipment and help prevent senior fraud.
