Mississippi elects first openly gay state lawmaker ever

 

Mississippi will have its first-ever openly gay state legislator after a House candidate won his Democrat primary election runoff.

Fabian Nelson, a 38-year-old realtor from Byram, prevailed over Roshunda Harris-Allen, an education professor at Tougaloo College and alderwoman in Byram.

The race to represent the House district in the south Jackson metro area was decided in a runoff after neither Nelson nor Allen received a majority vote. Republicans did not field a candidate for the general election, so Democrat and openly gay Nelson will go on to represent the district.

The Hinds County district includes Southwest Jackson and part of Byram, Salem and Terry. Nelson said he connected with voters by relying on his deep local ties. In office, he wants to increase health care access for low-income people by pushing for Medicaid expansion.

Nelson’s victory comes on the heels of a historic wave of restrictions passed by Republican-controlled legislatures targeting the rights of transgender people. There have seen a record number of measures against LGBTQ community in Mississippi in 2023.

So glad in a time when we are seeing attacks legislatively and through violence against the LGBTQ community that the majority of people reject that kind of animus.

Congrats rep. Nelson!!!