Washington, DC – Today, Equality PAC Co-Chairs Chairman Mark Takano (D-CA) and Congressman David Cicilline (D-RI) released the following statement on redistricting developments in North Carolina and Maryland.
In North Carolina, where Equality PAC endorsed candidate Jasmine Beach-Ferrara is running in the 14th district, the North Carolina State Supreme Court delayed the state’s March 2022 primaries due to ongoing lawsuits over the current maps. In Maryland, where Equality PAC endorsed candidate Heather Mizeur is challenging incumbent Republican Andy Harris in Maryland’s 1st district, the state has finalized their new congressional maps which makes the 1st district seat a tossup.
“Recent redistricting developments in both North Carolina and Maryland give our endorsed candidates an even better chance to win next November, allowing us to expand our Equality Caucus in Congress,” said Equality PAC Co-Chairs Chairman Mark Takano and Congressman David Cicilline. “In North Carolina, Republicans proposed a map that gerrymandered to an extreme, splitting up communities and packing minority voters in for political gain. We are pleased the North Carolina State Supreme Court is allowing time for these important lawsuits which call for the creation of fair maps to continue through the judicial process. We are confident that at the end of this process, Jasmine Beach-Ferrara will be running in a district that gives full, adequate, and fair representation to the residents of Western North Carolina. In Maryland, the finalized congressional maps give Eastern Shore residents what they deserve, a competitive district that allows their future representative to focus on the issues that matter to them. With Heather Mizeur on the ballot, we can defeat Andy Harris and send a pro-equality candidate to Congress to fight for the rights of all Eastern Shore residents.”
Equality PAC is the political arm of the Congressional LGBTQ Equality Caucus and is dedicated to the full legal and societal equality for LGBTQ Americans. All funds raised into Equality PAC are spent supporting and electing openly LGBTQ individuals and strong LGBTQ allies to the United States Congress who are committed to passing the Equality Act and to ensuring full civil rights and protections for all LGBTQ Americans.
In total, Equality PAC raised over $6.3m for Equality PAC during the previous two-year cycle — with generous supporters in all 50 states, Washington, DC, and Puerto Rico and throughout the business community. In addition to this, Equality PAC raised over $2.7m directly for our endorsed LGBTQ congressional candidates and funded crucial independent expenditures. Equality PAC financially supported over 130 LGBTQ Champions and Allies in races across the country; and we did our part to hold our House Democratic Majority and to help elect Joe Biden and Kamala Harris.
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