Post submitted by Stephen Peters, former Senior National Press Secretary and Spokesperson

HRC announced its endorsement of Leslie Cockburn (D) in her bid to represent the people of Virginia’s 5th Congressional District. Across the state of Virginia, HRC is working to mobilize LGBTQ and allied voters to turn out and vote for pro-equality candidates up and down the ballot.

“Leslie Cockburn will fight each and every day in Congress to advance fairness and equality for all of the hard-working families in her district, across Virginia, and throughout the country,” said HRC National Field Director Marty Rouse. “Leslie is the clear choice for Virginia’s fair-minded voters who believe our elected officials should put people ahead of politics. HRC is proud to endorse Leslie Cockburn for Congress, and we look forward to working closely with her to advance LGBTQ equality.”

“I am honored to receive the endorsement of the Human Rights Campaign, America's largest civil rights organization working to achieve LGBTQ equality. We share a vision for our country where all Americans are ensured their fundamental civil rights,” said Leslie Cockburn. “I am looking forward to working closely with HRC to champion causes like social justice and affordable healthcare that will help to create a fairer, more equal society for all Americans, regardless of sexuality, gender identity, race, ethnicity or income.”

Leslie Cockburn’s distinguished career in journalism spanned thirty-five years. A producer for CBS News “60 Minutes”, a correspondent for PBS “Frontline”, a Ferris Professor of Journalism at Princeton, a writer and author, she has won two Emmys, two George Polk Awards, two Columbia Dupont journalism awards, and the Robert F. Kennedy Award. She has covered the major issues of our time, from the financial meltdown to nuclear weapons, from radical jihad to the drug cartels. She covered the wars in Afghanistan, Iraq, Somalia, Colombia, Cambodia and Central America. Cockburn has done many years of community service on the boards of the Piedmont Environmental Council and the Krebser Fund in Rappahannock, both dedicated to conservation. If elected to Congress, she is committed to advancing the Equality Act — critically important federal legislation that would finally add clear, comprehensive non-discrimination protections for LGBTQ people to our nation's civil rights laws. Find out more about her here.

Across the commonwealth of Virginia, HRC has identified more than 1.2 million “Equality Voters” — meaning they are strong supporters of progressive LGBTQ policies including marriage equality, equitable family law, and laws that prohibit discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation or gender identity. Last year, HRC launched a coast-to-coast campaign to mobilize these voters for the midterm elections called HRC Rising, which represents the largest grassroots expansion in the organization’s 38-year history.