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 Sarah McBride’s win in Delaware’s At-Large House election. With McBride’s win, she will become the nation’s first openly trans Member of Congress in history. McBride will succeed Senator-Elect Lisa Blunt-Rochester who is an Equality PAC Board Member.
“Sarah’s victory tonight is a watershed moment in American politics,” said Equality PAC Co-Chairs Ranking Member Mark Takano (D-CA) and Congressman Ritchie Torres (D-NY). “Equality PAC’s mission has always been to make sure every part of our community has a seat at our nation’s most important table: Congress. With Sarah’s win tonight, we have finally made that goal a reality. In the midst of a fraught national election cycle plagued by anti-LGBTQ and specifically anti-trans fear mongering from the GOP, Sarah has proven tonight that the moral arc of the universe bends towards justice and that ultimately, most people are good. Sarah represents one of Equality PAC’s greatest success stories. We came in early to invest more than $365,000 to help Sarah clear her primary field and secure this victory tonight. Sarah has fought tirelessly for the people of Delaware and we have no doubt that she will be a stellar public servant in Congress.”
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.
