Out Candidate Beats GOP Opponent, a Proud Boys Leader, in Hawaii

Adrian Tam, an openly gay candidate for the Hawaii State House of Representatives, defeated a Republican opponent who is also the leader of the state's chapter of the extremist group the Proud Boys, NBC News reports.

Tam's victory is part of a rainbow wave that saw LGTBQ candidates win federal, state, and local races around the nation. Though he will be the only LGBTQ member of Hawaii's House, NBC noted, Tam - born and raised in Honolulu, the son of immigrant parents - won a resounding victory over Nicholas Ochs with 63 percent of the votes despite a hate-fueled campaign against him by Ochs' supporters.

"It's almost to a harassment level," Tam said of the trolling that targeted him on social media.

Ochs countered that he, too, had experienced pushback on social media from Tam's supporters. Ochs also denied being a racist, pointing out that his wife is African American, The Daily Beast reports.

But Ochs had "a history of offensive posts on social media about the Black, Jewish, and LGBT communities," reported local news channel KITV in September, "as well as a video showing Ochs urinating into active lava fissure at the Kilauea volcano."

Facebook took down Ochs' campaign page for violating the social media platform's community standards, KITV reported.

Even before being elected to state office, Tam worked toward LGBTQ equality. The LGBTQ Victory Fund, which backed Tam's campaign, noted that he had worked toward "the passage of Hawaii's conversion therapy ban for minors, as well as working with stakeholders in passing a ban on gay panic defense."

Before he faced off with Ochs at the ballot box, Tam accomplished the task of defeating Democratic incumbent Tom Brower in the primary, NBC News reported.

Tam described this year's election as a "Change election," the Daily Beast reported, and also evinced delight at the opportunity to serve his state as an openly gay lawmaker.

"I always say representation matters," Tam said, going on to add, "a legislature should reflect what a state looks like."

"I am glad to be the only one," Tam said about being the lone openly LGBTQ member of the state's House of Representatives, "but I hope I am not the last one."