Washington, DC – Today, Equality PAC Co-Chairs Ranking Member Mark Takano (D-CA) and Congressman Ritchie Torres (D-NY) released the following statement celebrating Congresswoman-Elect Emily Randall’s win in Washington’s 6th Congressional District election. Randall will succeed Democratic Congressman and former Equality PAC Board Member Derek Kilmer, who will step down at the end of the current Congress. With Randall’s victory tonight, she will become the first queer Latina ever elected to Congress and the first openly LGBTQ person elected to Congress from Washington state.
“Making sure we increase the diversity of the Equality Caucus in Congress has been an important goal of Equality PAC,” said Equality PAC Co-Chairs Ranking Member Mark Takano (D-CA) and Congressman Ritchie Torres (D-NY). “Throughout this election cycle, Equality PAC recruited candidates that fit this mold. That’s why electing Emily was a top priority for us. When Emily announced her campaign, she was up against a candidate who had been elected twice statewide but we believed in Emily, her powerful personal story, and her message. That is why we invested nearly $1 million in making sure she advanced to the top two in her jungle primary. With Emily’s determination and perseverance, she won that race and we made sure that she had a clear path to victory in the November general election. We are ecstatic about her win yesterday and look forward to welcoming Congresswoman-Elect Emily Randall to the 119th Congress in January.”
Equality PAC’s mission is simple: to elect more LGBTQ+ persons to Congress — individuals who will have a seat at the table, impact the debate, and humanize the LGBTQ community’s concerns. All the funds we raise are used to elect and re-elect LGBTQ persons to Congress and secondarily support strong LGBTQ community allies who will proudly and unapologetically stand with us in the fight to pass the Equality Act and equal protection under our nation’s laws.
In the short time that Equality PAC has existed, Equality PAC has played an unmatched role in making history for the LGBTQ community, electing LGBTQ leaders at the federal level such as current House Members Sharice Davis (Kansas); Ritchie Torres (New York); Becca Balint (Vermont); Robert Garcia (California); Eric Sorensen (Illinois); Angie Craig (Minnesota); and Chris Pappas (New Hampshire), as well as former House Member Mondaire Jones (New York).
Equality PAC has been instrumental in winning key races that have determined control of Congress because we know that without Pro-Equality Majorities, the progress our community has made and the civil rights and equal protections we have fought so hard for, and are still fighting for every day, remain in jeopardy.
