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

“The Human Rights Campaign is proud to support U.S. Rep. Tim Ryan in his campaign to become the next U.S. senator for the state of Ohio. Rep. Ryan has been a consistent supporter of LGBTQ+ equality in Congress. He is an original co-sponsor of the Equality Act, vital legislation to ensure that nondiscrimination protections for LGBTQ+ people are enshrined in federal law. He’s also supported key priorities including legislation to protect voting rights, improve gun background checks and securing reproductive rights. In an election with an anti-equality candidate opposing him on November’s ballot, Tim Ryan’s voice is one that all Ohioans desperately need in the U.S. Senate.”

Representative Ryan released the following statement:

“I’m honored to have the endorsement of the Human Rights Campaign, and look forward to working together to make sure all Ohioans enjoy equal protections under the law. LGBTQ+ Ohioans deserve two senators who will work to protect their rights, not strip them away. In Congress, I’ve worked hard to make sure all Ohioans can live with dignity and respect, no matter who they are or who they love. As Senator, I’ll keep working to ensure every Ohioan can live their lives safely and free from discrimination or fear.”

As a strong LGBTQ+ ally in Congress, Rep. Ryan has received a perfect score of 100 on the Human Rights Campaign’s Congressional Scorecard for the past five sessions of Congress, signifying that he supported key legislation that HRC sees as essential to promoting equality. He is an original cosponsor of the Equality Act, a bill prohibiting Medicaid funding for conversion therapy, family leave legislation and two bills to improve and expand background checks for gun purchases. First elected to the House of Representatives in 2002 after a stint in the Ohio Senate, Rep. Ryan has been a vocal proponent of LGBTQ+ priorities, voicing his support for the Biden administration’s decision to allow transgender people to serve in the military, an end to the FDA’s blood donation ban for gay and bisexual men, and speaking in favor of marriage equality prior to the Supreme Court’s landmark 2015 ruling.

An Opponent With An Anti-Equality Record

The Republican nominee, author J.D. Vance, has never been elected to any office and has made frequent anti-LGBTQ+ remarks during his campaign. In an interview, the Trump-endorsed candidate argued that age-appropriate lessons about sexual orientation and gender identity in public schools were tantamount to “sexualizing” children. Vance has also expressed viewpoints hostile to transgender people, insisting that one’s “reproductive organs and … genetic makeup” should dictate their gender, and rejecting the idea that transition care can be lifesaving. He also draws an extremist line on abortion access, saying that it shouldn’t be allowed even in cases of rape or incest.

HRC’s Commitment to Ohio

Equality Voters, including the two million in Ohio, 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.