The Human Rights Campaign PAC (HRC PAC) announced its endorsement of U.S. Rep. Peter Welch of Vermont for U.S. Senate. HRC PAC is committed to engaging our volunteers, members and supporters to mobilize the more than 130,000 Equality Voters in Vermont in support of Welch and other pro-equality candidates up and down the ballot.

Human Rights Campaign Interim President Joni Madison released the following statement:

“Throughout his career in Congress, Rep. Welch has been a strong and consistent supporter of LGBTQ+ equality and ensuring that the members of our community are able to live freely and fully as equal members of society. He’s been an original cosponsor of the Equality Act, vital legislation to ensure that nondiscrimination protections for LGBTQ+ people are enshrined in federal law. In short, Rep. Welch will be a great U.S. senator for Vermont and for the country, and HRC is proud to endorse him.”

Rep. Welch released the following statement:

“I’m honored to have the endorsement of the Human Rights Campaign, an organization working tirelessly to advance the rights of the LGBTQ+ community. If there’s anything that the current Supreme Court has made clear it's that individual rights, including LGBTQ+ rights, are under threat and we must do everything we can to protect them. I’m grateful to be in this fight with the support of the Human Rights Campaign. Together, we will create a society where everyone, regardless of their gender identity or who they love, can live free from prejudice in this country.”

As a strong LGBTQ+ ally in Congress, Rep. Welch has received a perfect score of 100% on the Human Rights Campaign’s Congressional Scorecard for the past seven sessions of Congress, signifying that he consistently supported key legislation that HRC sees as essential to promoting equality. In the current session, he has recorded important votes in favor of the Equality Act, the Respect for Marriage Act, the American Rescue Plan and Women’s Health Protection Act.

HRC’s Commitment to Vermont

Also endorsed by HRC this cycle in Vermont is state Senate President Becca Balint, who is aiming to succeed Welch in the U.S. House of Representatives. If elected, she would be the first woman and the first out lesbian to represent Vermont in Congress.

Equality Voters, including the more than 130,000 in Vermont, 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.

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