Post submitted by Ianthe Metzger, Former Press Secretary, State & Local 

HRC announced its endorsement of Betsy Rader for U.S. House to represent Ohio’s 14th Congressional District.

“Betsy Rader has dedicated her life to fighting for equality, fairness and justice and will stand up for Ohio’s working families in Congress,” said HRC Ohio State Director Shawn Copeland. “The Human Rights Campaign is proud to endorse her candidacy to represent the people of Ohio’s 14th Congressional District, and we look forward to working with her in the fight for full federal equality.”

“It's a true honor to have the support of the Human Rights Campaign. One of the reasons I got into this race is because the Trump Administration announced that it would argue in court against the rights of LGBTQ Americans and, as the proud mother of two gay sons, I will fight with everything I’ve got to stop such discrimination,” said Betsy Rader. “And this is personal; Congressman David Joyce has repeatedly voted to permit discrimination against LGBTQ individuals. We’ve seen over the last two years that we can’t take the progress that we’ve made for granted and so, when I get to Congress, I’m committed to working tirelessly for human rights and equality for all people.”

A lifelong Ohioan, Rader currently works as a civil rights lawyer fighting for workers who have been discriminated against in the workplace. She previously served as Senior Counsel at the Cleveland Clinic and worked at Medicare and Medicaid helping to implement the Affordable Care Act -- she will use that experience to fight for expanding access and lowering the cost of quality health care and prescription drugs in Congress. Rader is a strong advocate for LGBTQ equality who supports marriage equality and the Equality Act, crucial federal legislation that would finally guarantee comprehensive protections for LGBTQ people under our nation's civil rights laws.

In November, Rader will face incumbent Congressman David Joyce. Joyce received a 16 out of 100 on HRC’s most recent Congressional Scorecard, which measures members’ of Congress support for LGBTQ equality and policies. He has consistently worked to undermine equality, co-sponsoring the so-called First Amendment Defense Act and opposing an amendment supporting a ban on employment discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identity by federal contractors. Just last week, Joyce voted for a discriminatory amendment that would grant a license to discriminate in provision of child welfare services.

In Ohio, HRC has identified more than 1.8 million “Equality Voters” -- voters who support LGBTQ-inclusive policies including marriage equality, equitable family law, and laws that would prohibit discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation or gender identity. HRC has prioritized investments and organizing in Ohio in the 2018 cycle, and has already put staff and resources on the ground in the state. Last year, HRC announced a coast-to-coast campaign called HRC Rising, which represents the largest grassroots expansion in the organization’s 38-year history.