The South just elected its first openly LGBTQ member of Congress. And she's from North Texas

Julie Johnson has achieved many milestones since she first ran for office six years ago.

Now she is the first openly LGBTQ person elected to Congress from a Southern state. Johnson won the race on Tuesday to replace Colin Allred, who resigned to challenge US Senator Ted Cruz.

The North Texas seat represents parts of Collin, Dallas and Denton counties.

Johnson handily defeated Republican hopeful Darrell Day, a former Arlington city councilman. In a post on Instagram late Tuesday, she called her win “a testament to the power of collective action.”

“It is about the countless individuals who have fought for equality and inclusion and the belief that our government must reflect the will of its people,” wrote Johnson. “This victory is yours.”

Johnson has served in the Texas House of Representatives since 2019, where she served as a member of the Texas House of Representatives founding member of the LGBTQ Caucus. As a state legislator, she prioritized public health issues such as lowering barriers to access to drugs and targeting potentially dangerous doctors.

Several national LGBTQ rights groups are tracking representation among elected officials and say Johnson was the first openly LGBTQ person elected to Congress from the South.

A Human Rights Campaign spokesperson said Johnson will shift her fight “for civil rights and those most marginalized” from the state to the nation's capital. These and other LGBTQ rights groups marked Johnson's victory as a milestone for queer women, especially in this part of the country.

“The South is often a battleground for LGBTQ+ rights, and with Julie Johnson, we now have one of our own fighting for freedom at the federal level,” said Janelle Perez, executive director of LPAC, a national group dedicated to electing LGBTQ women. and non-binary candidates.

Johnson is an attorney who specializes in personal injury and family law. Her wife, Susan Moster, became the first same-sex spouse from a Texas lawmaker when the two married in 2019.

Also on Tuesday, Sarah McBride from Delaware became the first openly transgender member of Congress.

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