In the United States, openly gay Republican presidential candidate Fred Karger’s campaign has fallen by the wayside in media coverage and political attention. But in Finland, another openly gay candidate is still going strong. 

Pekka Haavisto is the first openly gay person to run for head of state in Finland, and he’s doing quite well. He came in second place in the first round of voting in the election, securing him a place in a February runoff against conservative candidate Sauli Niinisto.

A smooth-talking political veteran, Niinisto is viewed by many Finns as the most statesmanlike of the candidates.

But Haavisto also has strong resume. The 53-year-old former environment minister has held several positions in EU and U.N. operations helping to solve crises in Sudan, Darfur and the Middle East.

“He’s extremely cultured and civilized. We need a member of a new, educated generation who hasn’t been corrupted by politics,” said Laila Halme, a retired graphic artist, as she walked her dog through thick snow to vote in a Helsinki suburb.

According to analysts quoted in the Huffington Post article linked above, it’s unlikely that Haavisto can beat his opponent in the runoff. But to have made it this far is a huge accomplishment, proving once again that things are getting better every day for LGBT people in the public eye.