Raleigh, North Carolina — Today the Human Rights Campaign PAC (HRC PAC) announced its endorsements of 20 pro-equality champions running for the North Carolina state House and North Carolina state Senate. HRC PAC is committed to engaging its volunteers, members and supporters to mobilize the more than 1.7 million Equality Voters in North Carolina in support of pro-equality candidates up and down the ballot.

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

“During a time when LGBTQ+ rights, abortion access, and voting rights are under attack by extremist politicians, the need for pro-equality, pro-choice, pro-democracy champions in elected office has never been greater. These candidates are leaders who will stand up for the rights of the LGBTQ+ community and all North Carolinians, and fight to make North Carolina a state that is welcoming to all people. As we approach a critical election where so many of our rights are at stake, the Human Rights Campaign could not be more proud to endorse these state legislative candidates in North Carolina.”

HRC’s Commitment to North Carolina

Equality Voters, including the more than 1.7 million in North Carolina, 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.

North Carolina State Senate Endorsements:

Valerie Jordan (SD-3)

Marcia Morgan (SD-7)

Lisa Grafstein (SD-13)

Sydney Batch (SD-17)

Mary Wills Bode (SD-18)

Rachel Hunt (SD-42)

Cecil Brockman (SD-60)

North Carolina State House Endorsements:

Allison Dahle (HD-11)

Deb Butler (HD-18)

Vernetta Alston (HD-29)

Marcia Morey (HD- 30)

Christine Kelly (HD-37)

Joe John (HD-40)

Robert Reives (HD-54)

Brandon Gray (HD-62)

Ricky Hurtado (HD-63)

Diamond Staton- Williams (HD-73)

Christy Clark (HD- 98)

Laura Budd (HD-103)

Brandon Lofton (HD-104)