LGBTQ advocates are still celebrating Tuesday's election results.
Matt Hirschey of Equality NC says 70 percent of the candidates his organization endorsedwere elected to municipal office.
He said this shows the political tides are turning, after a year in which President Donald Trump announced a ban on transgender military service, and North Carolina's Republican-led legislature fought to maintain control over bathroom access.
"At best they're willfully ignorant, and at worst, they're outright discriminatory policies," Hirschey said. "So, I think that what we saw was a rejection of that and, certainly, a good bellwether to see how the next year or two is going to play out in terms of federal policy, in terms of state policy, and in terms of municipal policy."
Hirschy says there are now 20 elected officials in North Carolina who are out as LGBTQ. Equality NC endorsements included Steve Schewel in Durham, Nancy McFarlane in Raleigh, Pam Hemminger in Chapel Hill and Lydia Lavelle in Carrboro.
