Reprinted with permission from OutNW

At the Victory Institute’s Leadership Summit [on Feb. 28], a panel of LGBTQ elected officials and candidates offered a candid look at what it takes to run for office — and to serve.

The summit opened with a Campaign 101 session, “Roadmap to Campaigning,” led by Itay Balely, director of training and leadership development at the LGBTQ+ Victory Institute. Balely outlined the fundamentals of launching and sustaining a viable campaign, grounding attendees in strategy before the deeper discussions began.

The LGBTQ+ Victory Institute works to increase the number of LGBTQ+ people in public office by providing leadership development, trainings, and a professional network for LGBTQ+ leaders pursuing careers in the public sector. Its signature candidate and campaign trainings have helped thousands of LGBTQ+ candidates develop the skills to run for office. Alumni include US Reps. Robert Garcia and Sarah McBride, Colorado Gov. Jared Polis, Virginia state Sen. Danica Roem, Montana state Rep. Zooey Zephyr, and former Houston Mayor Annise Parker.

The Institute’s David Bohnett Leaders Fellowship provides outstanding LGBTQ+ elected and appointed officials with executive leadership training at the Harvard Kennedy School of Government. In addition, the organization maintains Out for America (outforamerica.org), a comprehensive resource identifying currently serving, openly LGBTQ+ elected officials across the United States at every level of government. The platform allows users to filter by region, level of office, sexual orientation, gender identity, race/ethnicity, and party affiliation — offering a clear picture of LGBTQ+ representation nationwide.

According to the Victory Institute, more than 46,000 additional LGBTQ+ people would need to be elected to public office to achieve full representation at all levels of government.

Looking ahead to 2026, the Victory Institute will host LGBTQ+ Candidate & Campaign Trainings in Philadelphia (April 23–26), with an optional extended training for Trans and gender-expansive participants; and Denver (July 9–12), with an optional extended training for LGBTQ+ women. (For more information, visit victoryinstitute.org/cc or email [email protected].