ALBANY — Today the Human Rights Campaign PAC (HRC PAC) announced its endorsement of New York Governor Kathy Hochul for reelection. HRC PAC is committed to engaging our volunteers, members and supporters to mobilize the more than 6.1 million Equality Voters in New York in support of Governor Hochul and other pro-equality candidates up and down the ballot.

Human Rights Campaign Senior Vice President, Policy & Political Affairs JoDee Winterhof released the following statement:

“As a U.S. Representative, Lieutenant Governor, and now Governor, Kathy Hochul has been an unwavering advocate and champion for equality. At a time where the LGBTQ+ community faces unprecedented attacks, Governor Hochul has fought to provide critical resources for transgender, gender non-conforming, and non-binary New Yorkers. Thanks to Governor Hochul, New York – part of the bedrock of the modern LGBTQ+ movement – is at the forefront of LGBTQ+ equality. The Human Rights Campaign is proud to support her bid for reelection.”

Governor Kathy Hochul released the following statement:

“During a time when basic human rights are under attack nationwide, I can promise you that New York will never be dragged backward — we will lead. It is an honor to receive this endorsement and to continue to work in partnership with the Human Rights Campaign to empower our LGBTQ+ communities, guarantee abortion rights in New York state, and fight for true liberty and justice for all.”

A Proven Champion for Equality

As Governor of New York, Kathy Hochul has shown her commitment to LGBTQ+ rights by signing pro-equality legislation and promoting inclusive policies. As extremist state legislatures across the country attack the LGBTQ+ community’s ability to safely access healthcare, Governor Hochul led the way as New York secured the largest increase of LGBTQ+ Health and Human Services funding in state history.

An Opponent With An Anti-Equality Record

In comparison, the Republican nominee, U.S. Representative Lee Zeldin, has a long track record of fighting against equality both in Congress and in New York’s state legislature. While serving as a state senator, Zeldin voted against legalizing same-sex marriage in 2011. As a member of Congress, Zeldin was a cosponsor of the “First Amendment Defense Act” which sought to permit discrimination by individuals, many businesses, and non-profit organizations against same-sex couples. Additionally, Zeldin applauded former President Trump’s attacks on trans rights, including Trump’s bathroom bans. He also is an outspoken opponent of reproductive health, saying that it would be a “great idea” to appoint an anti-abortion health commissioner.

HRC’s Commitment to New York

Equality Voters, including the more than 6.1 million in New York, 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.

Across the country, HRC PAC works every day to elect pro-equality leaders who support policies that will support the rights and lives of LGBTQ+ people. During the 2020 election cycle, HRC staff on the ground recruited 5,800 individual volunteers nationwide who completed 28,500 hours of voter contact in more than 2,650 volunteer events. HRC engaged in robust digital and online GOTV efforts, including sending over 2.7 million person-to-person text messages, a massive increase from 2018 when approximately 500,000 texts were sent. HRC sent over 2.5 million mail pieces, had over 930,000 phone conversations with voters, and engaged more than 200,000 voters through HRC’s voter dashboard at hrc.org/vote.