Sharice Davids Wins Reelection in Kansas, Preserving Historic LGBTQ+ Representation in Congress

This story originally appeared on The Advocate.Democratic U.S. Rep. Sharice Davids has won reelection in Kansas’ 3rd Congressional District, securing a fifth term in Congress and preserving the historic representation she helped establish as one of the first two Native American women elected to the U.S. House.Davids, the first openly LGBTQ+ person elected to Congress from Kansas, defeated Republican Eric Jenkins and Libertarian Steve Hohe, according to Decision Desk HQ, which called the race at 8:43 p.m. Eastern time on Tuesday night. With 62 percent of votes counted, Davids led Jenkins 66 percent to 33 percent. Hohe had received around 1.5 percent of the vote at the time of the call.Her victory extends a political career that began with her historic election in 2018, when she unseated Republican incumbent Kevin Yoder in the Kansas City suburbs. In addition to making Kansas history, Davids also became the first openly LGBTQ+ Native American sent to Congress when her term began in 2019.Related: Kansas Rep. Sharice Davids brings her intersectional experience as an LGBTQ+ Native American to Capitol HillA citizen of the Ho-Chunk Nation and former mixed martial arts fighter, Davids has established herself as an advocate for health care access, economic opportunity, and LGBTQ+ equality while emphasizing bipartisan cooperation.Her reelection also comes after a campaign against Jenkins, a former Shawnee City Council member who previously voted against a local ordinance protecting LGBTQ+ people from employment discrimination, and who supported Kansas’ ban on transgender athletes participating in girls’ sports.The contrast reflects the broader political battles over LGBTQ+ rights unfolding in Kansas and across the country.Davids is a co-chair of the Congressional Equality Caucus and supports the Equality Act, which would expand federal civil rights protections based on sexual orientation and gender identity.She has also made improving mental health services for LGBTQ+ y