Wisconsin Congressman Comments on Voting Preferences for Gay Candidates

<figure><img alt="derrick van orden" src="https://thedailybeast-thedailybeast-prod.web.arc-cdn.net/resizer/v2/OC7FVJGEQBH4BM4NYN4O5WZOVU.JPG?auth=68e9815491ac992bbcde91944607050103e18ff5b8f33e1861585c7585b049a7&amp;smart=true&amp;width=2161&amp;height=1215" /><figcaption>Mark Schiefelbein / via REUTERS</figcaption></figure><p>Representative Derrick Van Orden of Wisconsin commented on voting preferences regarding gay candidates, suggesting that African Americans are "not ready" to support a gay president. This statement was made during an interview outside the Capitol on Thursday, following a question about former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg's assertion that the U.S. is ready to elect a gay president.</p><p>Van Orden stated that the question was "irrelevant" and added, "Traditionally, if you look at—statistically, if you’re doing political science, African Americans don’t want to vote for a homosexual." He emphasized that this perspective does not influence his personal interactions.</p><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">The First Gay President will be a Republican coz black people ain’t down with that - <a href="https://x.com/RepVanOrden?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@RepVanOrden</a> <a href="https://t.co/voul8hbi2C">pic.twitter.com/voul8hbi2C</a></p>&mdash; CHARLIE COTTON (@hicharliecotton) <a href="https://x.com/hicharliecotton/status/2100643261836665199?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 17, 2026</a></blockquote><p>He noted that he has been endorsed by the Log Cabin Republicans, a conservative group that supports LGBTQ+ rights, and stated, "I don’t think in those terms." Van Orden further claimed that the Democratic Party needs to secure African American votes to succeed politically, asserting that statistical data indicates African Americans are not prepared to vote for a gay candidate.</p><img alt="The MAGA congressman was pressed on whether he believed America was ready for a gay president. / Tom Williams / CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Imag" height="5325" src="https://thedailybeast-thedailybeast-prod.web.arc-cdn.net/resizer/v2/YV3RLTKCUNCLDO3TYZX6P4S6EY.jpg?auth=620838793d1e1c68275c763ea560b791a400d8a46bc9684fa83469e0bb641950&amp;smart=true&amp;width=7988&amp;height=5325" width="7988" /><p>Van Orden also argued that it is "objectively" more likely for the first gay president to be a Republican rather than a Democrat. The Daily Beast has reached out to Van Orden for further comment.</p><p>A study conducted by Northwestern University in June found that being gay decreased a candidate's support probability by approximately 22 percent among Republican voters, while support among Democratic voters increased slightly. Nationally, identifying as gay reduced a candidate's probability of receiving support by 7 percent.</p><p>Buttigieg, who is openly gay, stated in an interview with NBC News's <i>Meet the Press</i> that he believes America is ready for a gay president, asserting that he would not have run for president in 2020 if he did not think it was possible.</p><video id="9pmICwGp" poster="https://cdn.jwplayer.com/v2/media/9pmICwGp/poster.jpg"><source src="https://cdn.jwplayer.com/videos/9pmICwGp.mp4" type="video/mp4" /></video><p>Buttigieg emphasized that voters are more concerned about their lives than a candidate's identity, stating, "Right now, Americans are hurting in Trump’s economy." However, an Emerson College poll conducted from June 24-25, 2025, indicated that Buttigieg had zero percent support among Black respondents, although the poll focused on preferences for the 2028 Democratic nomination rather than general election support for a gay candidate. Emerson's methodology notes that demographic subgroups may carry greater uncertainty due to smaller sample sizes.</p><img alt="Buttigieg and his husband, Chasten, became parents in 2021. / Pete Buttigieg/X" height="968" src="https://thedailybeast-thedailybeast-prod.web.arc-cdn.net/resizer/v2/Y62WAHPJVBELLBHZBAUHTOR7MU.jpeg?auth=66bfeca39166d67d83461c346d318735195bc56b3f50d28eb97efb21c7ce68a7&amp;smart=true&amp;width=1536&amp;height=968" width="1536" /><p>In her memoir <i>107 Days</i>, former Vice President Kamala Harris revealed that Buttigieg was a top choice for her running mate, but she ultimately decided against it, feeling that a Democratic ticket featuring a Black woman and a gay man was "too big of a risk."</p><p>Buttigieg is considered a frontrunner for the Democratic nomination in 2028, alongside Harris, California Governor Gavin Newsom, Georgia Senator Jon Ossoff, and New York Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez.</p><p><a href="https://www.thedailybeast.com/maga-rep-derrick-van-orden-drops-racial-insult-over-gay-candidates/">Read more at The Daily Beast.</a></p>