LGBTQ representation in the U.S. Congress can double in 2020
Washington, DC – Today LGBTQ Victory Fund, the only national organization dedicated to electing LGBTQ leaders to public office, endorsed Pat Hackett and Tracy Mitrano for U.S. House. If elected, Hackett would become the first openly LGBTQ member of Congress from Indiana and Mitrano the first LGBTQ woman from New York. Earlier today, Victory Fund also announced its endorsement of Ross LaJeunesse for U.S. Senate from Maine. Victory Fund has endorsed nine openly LGBTQ non-incumbents for U.S. Congress in 2020 – enough to double LGBTQ representation in the U.S. Congress.
With a Democratic primary victory, Hackett will face anti-LGBTQ incumbent Rep. Jackie Walorski, who sought to derail hate crimes legislation as a state representative and voted to support LGBTQ discrimination as a Congresswoman. If Mitrano wins the Democratic primary, she will face Rep. Tom Reed, whose record on LGBTQ issues is mixed but who votes overwhelmingly in opposition to abortion rights. Both seats are considered key pickups for Democrats in 2020.
“We have an opportunity to double the number of LGBTQ members of Congress and break new ground in 2020 – defeating anti-LGBTQ incumbents and electing LGBTQ members where we never have before,” said Mayor Annise Parker, President & CEO of LGBTQ Victory Fund. “LGBTQ members of Congress were the driving force behind the House’s passage of the Equality Act last year, ensuring its introduction and lobbying colleagues to vote for it. By growing our ranks in both the House and Senate, reluctant colleagues will come to our side and pressure will grow to consider the Equality Act regardless of the party in charge.”
Including Hackett, LaJeunesse and Mitrano, Victory Fund has endorsed nine non-incumbent congressional candidates so far for the 2020 cycle, including John Blair, Georgette Gomez, Jon Hoadley, Mondaire Jones, Gina Ortiz Jones and Ritchie Torres.
More information about the candidates is available at victoryfund.org/ourcandidates. Since 1991, Victory Fund has helped thousands of openly LGBTQ candidates win local, state and federal elections.
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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.
victoryfund.org
