“Rick Neal’s commitment to equality and long career serving others prove he will be a champion of fairness, justice and equality in Congress,” said HRC Ohio State Manager Shawn Copeland. “HRC is proud to endorse his candidacy for Ohio’s 15th District, and we look forward to electing another pro-equality champion to the U.S. House of Representatives come November.”

"I am honored to have earned the trust and endorsement of the Human Rights Campaign," said Rick Neal. "I'm ready to work hard every day to champion fairness, justice, and equality for everyone in Ohio's 15th District --- it's time folks there had a representative working for them."

Neal lives in Columbus, OH with his husband Tom and their two daughters. A longtime international aid worker, Neal has dedicated his life to advocating for the rights of marginalized communities both in Ohio and around the globe. He is a strong champion for equality having fought against anti-LGBTQ initiatives in his state, including a now defunct constitutional amendment limiting marriage to opposite-sex couples. Neal is also a supporter of the Equality Act, landmark federal legislation that would provide the same basic nondiscrimination protections to LGBTQ people as other protected groups under federal law. He is facing incumbent Rep. Steve Stivers (R) in the general election. Since joining Congress, Stivers has consistently received a zero on HRC’s congressional scorecard which measures members’ of Congress support for LGBTQ equality.

In Ohio, HRC has identified more than 1,550,000 “Equality Voters” -- voters who support LGBTQ-inclusive policies including marriage equality, equitable family law, and laws that would prohibit discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation or gender identity. HRC has prioritized investments and organizing in Ohio in the 2018 cycle, and has already put staff and resources on the ground in the state. Last year, HRC announced a coast-to-coast campaign called HRC Rising, which represents the largest grassroots expansion in the organization’s 38-year history.

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.

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Paid for by Human Rights Campaign PAC (www.hrc.org) and authorized by Rick Neal for Congress