Would be first LGBTQ+ person ever elected to Congress from Oregon
Washington, DC – Today LGBTQ+ Victory Fund, LPAC and Equality PAC announced their day-one endorsements of Jamie McLeod-Skinner for Oregon’s 5th Congressional District immediately following her campaign launch this morning. If elected, McLeod-Skinner would be the first out LGBTQ+ person elected to federal office from Oregon.
“Last year Jamie McLeod-Skinner defied the odds and a challenging political environment, coming within two points of winning her race for Congress,” said Equality PAC. “Equality PAC was proud to stand with Jamie then, and we are even more excited to be supporting her again now — when we know she will win and make history as the first openly-LGBTQ person ever elected to federal office from Oregon. Jamie is a proven leader for LGBTQ communities and families across the state, and we need her voice in Congress as we work to build a new Pro-Equality majority in the House of Representatives. With Jamie now in this race, we are one step closer to achieving that goal.”
“I am honored to be endorsed by Victory Fund, LPAC, and Equality PAC,” said Jamie McLeod-Skinner. “I remember a time in our history not too long ago when an out, gay woman running for Congress would have been unthinkable. But while we’ve come incredibly far in the past few decades, we still have a long way to go until we reach true equality. I will be proud to be Oregon’s first openly LGBTQ+ Member of Congress when we win in 2024. In addition to fighting for LGBTQ+ rights and access to abortion, I will work to protect our environment and provide affordable healthcare, prescription medication, and housing. We need a fighter in Oregon who will deliver for us, and I will be proud to do that as your next Congresswoman.”
“For far too long, Oregon’s vibrant LGBTQ+ community has lacked representation in Congress,” said Mayor Annise Parker, President & CEO of LGBTQ+ Victory Fund. “Jamie is well prepared to be their voice and not just fend off anti-LGBTQ and anti-choice legislation, but fight for policies that protect and affirm all Oregonians. We are confident Jamie’s commitment to addressing the real needs of her constituents – from climate change to reproductive health care to worker’s rights – will resonate with voters and make her an exceptional leader in Congress.”
“LPAC was proud to stand with Jamie McLeod-Skinner when she ran in Oregon’s 5th Congressional district in 2022, winning a highly-competitive primary and then narrowly losing the general election to Republican Lori Chavez-DeRemer in one of the nation’s closest races,” said Lisa Turner, Executive Director of LPAC. “We are thrilled Jamie is running again and are excited to endorse her on day-one as she seeks to flip this seat and become the first openly LGBTQ person elected to Congress from Oregon. As an organization that is dedicated to electing LGBTQ women and nonbinary people to public office – candidates who champion the values of women’s rights, LGBTQ equality, and social justice – supporting Jamie was an easy decision. She will be a champion for our values and an excellent member of 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.
