FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Thursday, October 13, 2016
CONTACT:
Carolyn Fiddler, National Communications Dir., Democratic Legislative Campaign Committee, fiddler@dlcc.org
Elliot Imse, Director of Communications, Gay & Lesbian Victory Fund, elliot.imse@victoryfund.org
Organizations working together to elect outstanding LGBTQ leaders
Washington, DC – Today, the Democratic Legislative Campaign Committee in coordination with Gay & Lesbian Victory Fund announced six Victory Fund-endorsed candidacies were upgraded to DLCC 2016 Essential Races. The joint endorsement highlights the critical importance of these six races in key legislative chamber battlegrounds and in furthering equality everywhere.
“This cycle’s down-ballot Democratic recruits are unprecedented in their diversity and quality, and both DLCC and Victory Fund recognize LGBTQ candidates are critical to helping legislatures better reflect the diversity of the American electorate,” said DLCC Executive Director Jessica Post. “Democrats are primed for major wins in state legislative chambers across the country on Election Day, and the LGBTQ candidates running in our Essential Races are a crucial element of DLCC’s success.”
The six Victory Fund-endorsed candidates added to the DLCC 2106 Essential Races include: Jane Campbell, North Carolina House District 98; Tommy Greene, Ohio House District 16; Daniel Hernandez, Arizona House District 2; Stephen Skinner, West Virginia Senate District 16; Beth Tuura, Florida House District 47; and Jennifer Webb, Florida House District 69.
“We’re thrilled to work with the DLCC to support these outstanding LGBTQ leaders,” said Victory Fund President & CEO Aisha C. Moodie-Mills. “LGBTQ leaders make outstanding public officials because they’re deeply aware of the impact legislation and public policy have on the lives of real people. These six candidates will make outstanding additions to their legislative chambers and will play a critical role in furthering equality for all Americans.”
Essential Races account for a bare fraction of the competitive state legislative campaigns in 2016 – just 52 districts in total – and represent a relative handful of races deserving of broader attention.
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Gay & Lesbian Victory Fund
The Gay & Lesbian 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. Victory Fund has endorsed 166 candidates this election cycle from all levels of government – including school boards, state legislatures and the U.S. Congress.
