NEVADA — Today, the Human Rights Campaign (HRC) — the nation’s largest lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer (LGBTQ+) civil rights organization — congratulated HRC-endorsed Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto on her reelection. Senator Cortez Masto, who was first elected in 2016, is the first Latina elected to the U.S. Senate.

Sen. Cortez Masto’s victory guarantees that the pro-equality majority will retain control of the U.S. Senate in the 118th Congress when it begins in January.

Human Rights Campaign Nevada State Director, Karl Catarata released the following statement:

“Since entering the U.S. Senate in 2017, Senator Catherine Cortez Masto has fought for LGBTQ+ equality and fiercely advocated for all Nevadans. Senator Cortez Masto has championed essential federal non-discrimination protections and has worked tirelessly to make Nevada and the nation, a better and safer place for all, proving herself as a reliable ally to the LGBTQ+ community. Nevadans have made a wise choice in sending Senator Cortez Masto back to the U.S. Senate to represent them for another six years. The Human Rights Campaign congratulates her on her reelection, and we look forward to continuing our work together.”

Senator Cortez Masto has received near-perfect scores on HRC’s Congressional Scorecards since taking her seat in 2017. She is a three-time cosponsor of the Equality Act, legislation that would create explicit non-discrimination protections for LGBTQ+ people across key areas of life. During the COVID-19 pandemic, she pushed for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to collect data on sexual orientation and gender identity to ensure the LGBTQ+ community’s needs were understood and met and she has advocated for LGBTQ+ rights abroad with her support of the International Human Rights Defense Act, legislation directing the Department of State to continue defending the human rights of LGBTQ+ people around the world.

HRC’s Commitment to Nevada

HRC worked this year to engage our volunteers, members and supporters to mobilize the 700,000 Equality Voters in Nevada in support of Sen. Cortez Masto and other pro-equality candidates up and down the ballot. Equality Voters are a voting bloc of demographically and geographically diverse Americans who are united by the advancement of LGBTQ+ equality. Equality Voters are younger, more racially diverse, and more female than the general electorate, they recognize and trust the HRC brand, and they are more likely to identify with issue-specific organizations than candidates or political parties.

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