Washington, DC — Today LGBTQ Victory Fund, the only national organization dedicated to electing LGBTQ leaders to public office, endorsed 14 more candidates from across the nation who can help transform the political landscape in 2018. Texas gubernatorial candidate Lupe Valdez was awarded Game Changer status — a designation given to high-profile federal or statewide races that can have an outsized impact on equality. If Valdez wins her runoff in May, she will face incumbent Governor Greg Abbott, a staunch opponent of equal rights for LGBTQ people.
Also endorsed was David Ermold, who will face anti-LGBTQ county clerk Kim Davis of Rowan County, Kentucky. Davis received international attention when she refused to provide same-sex couples with marriage licenses in the wake of the U.S. Supreme Court's marriage equality decision. Ermold was one of the people denied a marriage license by Davis.
Twelve additional candidates in state and local races received endorsements — having demonstrated to Victory Fund both their viability and their commitment to pushing for LGBTQ equality once in office.
"We have an unprecedented number of LGBTQ people running for office this cycle — some running races to become historic firsts and others running to take out anti-LGBTQ incumbents and be champions for all their constituents," said Mayor Annise Parker, President & CEO of LGBTQ Victory Fund. "These 14 candidates are values-driven leaders who are committed to equality, but are equally determined to fight for the bread and butter issues important to their communities. We have the opportunity to dramatically increase LGBTQ representation in local governments, state legislatures and the governors' mansions, so Victory Fund is all-in to ensure our endorsed candidates win on Election Day."
The complete list of today's endorsements is below.
Game Changer Endorsement
Lupe Valdez, Governor of Texas
Endorsed Candidates
Dana Beyer, Maryland Senate, District 18
Cecil Brockman, North Carolina House of Representatives, District 60
David Ermold, Clerk, Rowan County ( KY )
Malcolm Kenyatta, Pennsylvania House of Representatives, District 181
Ricardo Lara, California Insurance Commissioner
Felicia Stewart, Alabama House of Representatives, District 46
Alex Valdez, Colorado House of Representatives, District 5
Jennifer Webb, Florida House of Representatives, District 69
Ricardo White, Michigan House of Representatives, District 6
Endorsed Incumbent Candidates
Steve Glassman ( retroactive endorsement ), Fort Lauderdale City Commission, District 2
Maura Healey, Massachusetts Attorney General
Daniel Hernandez, Arizona House of Representatives, District 2
Brian Sims, Pennsylvania House of Representatives, District 182
This is the fifth round of endorsements by Victory Fund for the 2018 election cycle. All 74 openly LGBTQ endorsed candidates can be seen at victoryfund.org/ourcandidates.
Since 1991, Victory Fund has helped thousands of openly LGBTQ candidates win local, state and federal elections.
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 .
