As the nation braces for what should be both an interesting and exciting election this November, and as Republicans are in a position to gain seats in Congress and in positions at the state level, there are a number of openly gay Republican candidates to keep on your radar.

Richard Tisei is the Minority Leader of the Massachusetts State Senate and is currently running for the position of Lieutenant Governor of Massachusetts.  Richard won his first election in 1984 at the age of 22, becoming the youngest Republican ever elected to the Massachusetts Legislature.  Tisei is a fiscal conservative and reformer of state government with a track record of success.

Matthew Berry is a candidate for Virginia’s 8th Congressional District, encompassing Alexandria, Arlington, and Reston.  After graduating law school, Berry moved to Northern Virginia to pursue a career in public service; he is running on a platform of fiscal responsibility, government accountability, and individual rights.

Bonnie Dumanis is the incumbent running for re-election as District Attorney of San Diego County in California.  Dumanis, the first openly elected gay or lesbian District Attorney in the country, has served the people of San Diego County since 2003 when she was first elected in the historically Republican stronghold.

Eric Hickok, president of the Log Cabin Silicon Valley chapter, is the lone Republican running in his party’s primary in the South Bay’s 22nd Assembly District. Hickok, a 30-year old financial adviser, is a native of the Silicon Valley.

Ralph Denney, a 54 California native and tax accountant is running for the 76th Assembly district in California, located in San Diego.  Denney comes from a modest background and is running on a platform of improving educational attainment, reducing spending, and creating a pro-business environment in the State.

Dan Hill is running for State Assembly in Nevada’s 29th Assembly district, widely considered one of the state’s few swing districts with a narrow margin between the number of Democrat and Republican voters. Dan is a fiscal conservative with a platform focusing on spending, jobs, and education.

In the District of Columbia, Republicans are represented by two African-American gay candidates seeking to oust incumbent Democratic Councilmembers.  Marc Morgan, a moderate who has worked to support and protect the environment and fought on behalf of those living with HIV/AIDS is running in Ward 1.  Timothy Day, a D.C. Advisory Neighborhood Commission member is running in Ward 5.