“Pat McCrory continued to blame others and avoid taking responsibility for a dangerously discriminatory law that he alone signed,” said Human Rights Campaign President Chad Griffin. “Voters across North Carolina saw a stark choice tonight between Pat McCrory’s failed policies and Roy Cooper’s positive vision for the future. By fighting to ensure that everyone in North Carolina can live their lives free from fear of discrimination, Roy Cooper showed again why he deserves the votes of all North Carolinians this Election Day.”

“The choice has never been clearer for LGBT and all North Carolinians. Roy Cooper stands for equality, education, and common-sense North Carolina values. Governor McCrory continues to play the blame game and double down on the discriminatory HB2,” said Equality NC Executive Director Chris Sgro.

Last week, HRC and Equality North Carolina called on Gov. McCrory to extend the early voting deadline in 36 counties affected by Hurricane Matthew, a deadline that was recently extended.

With the first day of early voting in North Carolina on Oct. 20, TurnOUT North Carolina -- a project of the Human Rights Campaign and Equality North Carolina Action Fund PAC -- are launching a full week of GOTV activity to elect pro-equality candidates up and down the ticket.

TurnOUT is organizing debate watch parties this week in North Carolina, and is targeting members and supporters with social media, door knocking, phone calls, direct mail, text message alerts, and email alerts.

North Carolina has 255,000+ LGBTQ voters -- a critical number of voters in a state that President Obama won by just 14,000 votes in 2008.

HRC and ENC have endorsed pro-equality candidates up and down the ticket this year in North Carolina, including Roy Cooper for Governor, Deborah Ross for U.S. Senate, candidates for the General Assembly, Josh Stein for Attorney General and Linda Coleman for Lieutenant Governor.

The Human Rights Campaign is America’s largest civil rights organization working to achieve lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer equality. HRC envisions a world where LGBTQ people are embraced as full members of society at home, at work and in every community.

Equality NC is a statewide organization working to secure equal rights and justice for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender North Carolinians. For more information, please visit www.equalitync.org

Paid for by Human Rights Campaign PAC and not authorized by any candidate or candidate’s committee.