WASHINGTON — Today the Human Rights Campaign PAC (HRC PAC) announced its endorsement of Val Demings of Florida for U.S. Senate. HRC PAC is committed to engaging our volunteers, members and supporters to mobilize the 4.2 million Equality Voters in Florida in support of Demings and other pro-equality candidates up and down the ballot.

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

“The Human Rights Campaign is pleased to endorse Congresswoman Val Demings for U.S. Senate. Demings will bring something to the U.S. Senate on behalf of Floridians that has been missing for too long — a champion for marginalized people, especially LGBTQ+ people, Black people and women. Her track record over many years and her unwavering support of the Equality Act demonstrates her belief that everyone is entitled to the same rights and should be able to live lives free from discrimination. Meanwhile, her opponent has done precisely the opposite, positioning himself as an obstacle to LGBTQ+ equality in the Senate. Florida needs representation in the Senate who will stand for all Floridians, and Val Demings is the right person to be the next senator from the Sunshine State.”

Representative Val Demings released the following statement:

“I’m honored to be endorsed by the Human Rights Campaign. As Orlando’s police chief, I instituted a ‘zero-tolerance’ policy for hate crimes. And in Congress, I’ve proudly co-sponsored the Equality Act, worked to make Pulse Nightclub a national memorial, and am standing strong against Florida’s ‘Don’t Say Gay or Trans’ bill. I’ve fought hard throughout my career in public service for equal rights, respect, and dignity for all Floridians and I will continue to be a champion in the United States Senate.”

Representative Demings’ Record as a Champion of Equality

Now in her third term in the U.S. House of Representatives, Demings broke ground as one of the first women and Black Americans to be a prosecutor before the U.S. Senate during a presidential impeachment. She condemned the “Don’t Say Gay or Trans” bill targeting LGBTQ+ people in Florida, denounced anti-trans violence, supports the Equality Act, and introduced the “Science in Blood Donation” act to end discriminatory blood donation limits on men who have sex with men.

From being raised alongside her six older siblings in Jacksonville to now serving on the U.S. House Judiciary, Homeland Security, and Intelligence Committees, she has continually broken barriers. A first generation college student, she went on to graduate from Florida State University with a degree in Criminology and then a Master’s in Public Administration, later becoming a social worker and then a police officer en route to becoming Orlando’s first female Chief of Police.

An Opponent With an Anti-Equality Record

Senator Marco Rubio has received a score of zero on the past three iterations of the HRC Congressional Scorecard, a sign of his abysmal track record when it comes to supporting LGBTQ+ rights. He has spoken out against adoption by LGBTQ+ families, against trans athletes competing in sports, and in favor of the regressive “Don’t Say Gay or Trans” bill recently passed by Florida lawmakers. He voted against nondiscrimination protections for LGBTQ+ people, blocked the nomination of what would have been the first gay Black judge to the federal bench, and was an opponent of marriage equality.

HRC’s Commitment to Florida

Equality Voters, including the 4.2 million in Florida, 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 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.