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

HRC announced its endorsement of Ron DiNicola in his bid to represent Pennsylvania’s 16th Congressional District.

“Ron DiNicola is the clear choice for fair-minded voters of Pennsylvania’s 16th Congressional District,” said HRC Campaign Director Geoff Wetrosky. “An experienced leader and public servant, DiNicola will stand up for fairness and equality, and be a champion for the hard-working families across his district every day in Congress. The Human Rights Campaign is proud to endorse his candidacy and we look forward to turning out Pennsylvania’s 2.3 million “Equality Voters” for him and other pro-equality candidates across the commonwealth this November.” 

“I am proud to earn the endorsement of the Human Rights Campaign,” said Ron DiNicola. “I have always been an advocate for the LGBTQ+ community, successfully leading the fight for non-discrimination protections in Erie nearly 20 years ago. While in Congress I vow to continue standing with the LGBTQ community and support the Equality Act.” 

A lifelong Western Pennsylvanian, Ron DiNicola is a proven change-maker who has served his country and home state as a marine, nonprofit executive, community organizer and elected official. A longtime champion for equality, he helped pass a non-discrimination ordinance protecting Erie residents on the basis of sexual orientation and he remains committed to advancing LGBTQ equality as a member of Congress. DiNicola supports marriage equality and the Equality Act, important federal legislation that would finally guarantee explicit, comprehensive non-discrimination protections for LGBTQ people under our nation’s civil rights laws.

In the general election, DiNicola will face incumbent Rep. Mike Kelly, who has a long history of working to undermine LGBTQ equality. Kelly is a co-sponsor of the so-called ‘First Amendment Defense Act’-- proposed federal legislation that would legalize state-sanctioned discrimination. He has also received consecutive zeros on HRC's Congressional Scorecard which measures members’ of Congress support for LGBTQ equality.

In Pennsylvania, HRC has identified more than 2.3 million “Equality Voters” -- voters who support LGBTQ-inclusive policies. HRC has prioritized investments and organizing in Pennsylvania in the 2018 cycle, and has staff and resources on the ground in the state as part of the largest grassroots expansion in the organization’s 38-year history.