Historic moment should not be overshadowed by reporting failures
Washington, DC – With 62 percent of precincts reporting from the Iowa caucuses, Pete Buttigieg is leading in state delegate equivalents, making clear it was a historic night in what many consider to be the most important primary in the nation. Buttigieg put together a broad coalition, capturing significant votes from rural and suburban areas and strong support from every media market. He will be the first LGBTQ person in history to win delegates in a presidential primary and his strong performance provides critical momentum as he heads to the New Hampshire primary next Tuesday.
LGBTQ Victory Fund was Buttigieg’s first national endorsement. They announced the endorsement in June of 2019 on the 50th anniversary of the Stonewall Uprising.
Mayor Annise Parker, President & CEO of LGBTQ Victory Fund, released the following statement about the results so far:
“Pete’s strong showing in Iowa represents a revolution in American politics, upending traditional notions of electability and proving America is ready to elect its first openly gay president. With defeating Donald Trump top of mind, Iowa voters determined Pete is the best candidate to do it, a powerful statement about our progress as a country as this primary season begins.
“The messy Iowa reporting process should not distract anyone from the historic moment that played out last night. Pete – running against 10 opponents including some of the best-known names in American politics – overcame the obstacles and the odds to land in one of the top spots, if not the top spot, in the Iowa caucuses. It is an incredible achievement for an openly gay candidate and speaks to his ability to build a broad coalition among voters in cities, suburbs and rural areas. It forever changes how the media, pundits and voters view the electability of openly LGBTQ candidates.
“It is disappointing, to say the least, that this history-making political moment is overshadowed by the failures in the reporting process. Last night, Pete gave the most powerful speech I’ve heard during this campaign season – telling America the improbability of his candidacy for president is now an undeniable reality. It was a speech that would have captured the minds of Americans and secured days of headlines, but instead we are talking apps and ‘quality control.’ Fortunately, the results will come, Pete will get the post-Iowa bump he deserves, and he will head into New Hampshire a favorite. There is now no question we are on a journey to elect the first openly gay president of the United States – and that is astounding.”
Mayor Parker is available for comment on Buttigieg’s candidacy and the Iowa caucuses. Contact Elliot Imse, Senior Director of Communications, at 646.957.4740 or elliot.imse@victoryfund.org for scheduling.
Photos of Buttigieg from LGBTQ Victory Fund’s National Champagne Brunch on April 7 and endorsement event on June 28 are available for public use with attribution to “LGBTQ Victory Fund.”
More information is available at victoryforpete.com.
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LGBTQ Victory Fund
LGBTQ Victory Fund works to change the face and voice of America’s politics and achieve equality for LGBTQ Americans by increasing the number of openly LGBTQ elected officials at all levels of government.
