SLEEPY HOLLOW, NY – Today, the Equality PAC, the political action committee formed by leaders of the Congressional LGBT Equality Caucus, endorsed Mondaire Jones in his campaign to represent New York’s 17th Congressional District. In today’s endorsement, the powerful political group highlighted Jones’ community activism and historic opportunity to become the first openly gay, black member of Congress.
“Raised by a single mom in Section 8 housing and on food stamps, Mondaire understands that we need more champions for working class people in Congress,” said Equality PAC Executive Director, Jeff Larivee. “He has brought those experiences with him to the Department of Justice under President Obama and most recently as a litigator in the Westchester County Law Department. He has always been a fighter for the vulnerable, and I know in Congress he will be a dedicated champion for the LGBT community.”
“Mondaire would be the first openly gay, black member of Congress in United States history, and Equality PAC is proud to join Mondaire in this opportunity to make history,” said Larivee. “He has been involved in the fight for equality all of his life, from being a student activist working to pass a school budget in the East Ramapo Central School District, to working as a legal advisor to the Westchester County Human Rights Commission. He will be an important voice in Congress and we’re proud to join him in this fight.”
“Growing up poor, black, and gay, I never imagined that someone like me could make it to the halls of Congress. I am not running to make history, but the historic nature of my candidacy, and what that representation means to millions of people, is not lost on me,” said NY-17 Congressional candidate Mondaire Jones. “It is an honor to receive the endorsement of Equality PAC and I am looking forward to joining them in the fight for full LGBTQ equality as the next member of Congress from New York’s 17th District.”
Equality PAC is the political arm of the Congressional LGBT Equality Caucus and is dedicated to the full legal and societal equality for LGBT Americans. All funds raised into Equality PAC are spent supporting and electing openly LGBT individuals and strong LGBT allies to the United States Congress and Senate who are committed to passing the Equality Act and to ensuring full civil rights and protections for all LGBT individuals.
Last year, Equality PAC made history by helping to elect Senator Kyrsten Sinema (AZ), re-electing Senator Tammy Baldwin (WI), and electing four new Members of Congress: Angie Craig (MN), Chris Pappas (NH), Katie Hill (CA), and Sharice Davids (KS). In total, Equality PAC contributed nearly $3m towards the effort to flip the House during the midterm elections and plans to continue building on that progress in the 2020 elections with endorsed LGBT candidates in open Democratic seats in California, New York, and New Mexico, an open-Republican seat in Texas, and targeted Red2Blue districts in Michigan and Indiana.
Mondaire Jones is a 32-year-old former litigator in the Westchester County Law Department and former Department of Justice staffer during the Obama Administration. A resident of South Nyack, he is running to represent New York’s 17th Congressional District. A product of East Ramapo public schools, Mondaire was raised in Section 8 housing and on food stamps in the Village of Spring Valley by a single mother who worked multiple jobs to provide for their family. He later graduated from Stanford University and Harvard Law School. He is a co- founder of the nonprofit Rising Leaders, Inc. and has previously served on the NAACP’s National Board of Directors and on the board of the New York Civil Liberties Union. Mondaire is a progressive running to fight for bold solutions to our biggest problems: a Green New Deal, tuition-free public college and student debt forgiveness, Medicare for All, and a full restoration of the SALT deduction for families in Westchester and Rockland.
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Date: March 20, 2019
Contact: Jeff Larivee, (202) 821-5203
