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Massachusetts Votes for Fairness and Equality
Election Night 2018 Brings Victory for LGBTQ Champions in Massachusetts
Among the gains in the 2018 mid-term elections on November 6th, a majority of the candidates endorsed by the MassEquality PAC won their races, increasing the number of pro-LGBTQ legislators in the State House.

Our winning challengers for 2018 are Jo Comerford, Mindy Domb, Tami Gouveia, Kathy LaNatra, David LeBoeuf, Christina Minicucci, Tram Nguyen, Becca Rausch and Maria Robinson.

Endorsed incumbents who won their races are Sen. Julian Cyr, Rep. Mike Connolly, Rep. Marjorie Decker, Sen. Jamie Eldridge, Attorney General Maura Healey, Rep. Natalie Higgins, Rep. Jack Lewis, Sen. Jason Lewis and Rep. Liz Malia.

In a statement released on Wednesday, MassEquality Executive Director Deborah Shields said, “MassEquality is proud of all of our endorsed candidates in Tuesday’s election, and we congratulate the winners on their victories. Each one ran their campaign on the principles of fairness and equality, and the election results demonstrate overwhelming support for these values among Massachusetts voters.”

The Massachusetts LGBTQ community scored some major victories with MassEquality’s endorsed candidates. Among these wins are Tram Nguyen’s defeat of anti-LGBTQ Rep. Jim Lyons, Rep. Natalie Higgins win in a tough re-election race in a conservative district, and openly LGBTQ incumbents Attorney General Maura Healey, Sen. Julian Cyr, Rep. Jack Lewis and Rep. Liz Malia winning their races by strong margins. We’re also pleased to welcome Jo Comerford as the latest openly LGBTQ state Senator in Massachusetts.

MassEquality looks forward to working with the winning candidates during the upcoming legislative session. These electoral victories, along with the historic vote on Question 3 to uphold transgender nondiscrimination protections, are proof that Massachusetts supports fairness, justice and equality for all.
MassEquality Statement on the Results of the 2018 Massachusetts Primary Election
The MassEquality PAC celebrates Tuesday’s primary wins by its endorsed candidates, including two openly LGBTQ people. The PAC’s winners include first-time contenders Jo Comerford, Mindy Domb, Tami Gouveia, Becca Rausch and Maria Robinson as well as incumbents Sen. Jason Lewis, Rep. Marjorie Decker and Rep. Liz Malia. MassEquality Executive Director Deborah Shields, JD, MPH issued the following statement in response:

“We are very proud of all of our endorsed candidates in Tuesday’s primary election, and we congratulate the winners on their victories. Each one ran a strong campaign on platforms rooted in fairness and equality, and the election results demonstrate overwhelming support for these values among voters. Not only do we have the inspiring success of Ayanna Pressley, the first black woman ever elected to Congress from Massachusetts, we have a wealth of new progressive women making their way to the State House.

“Even as we celebrate these victories along with our endorsed candidates, we are preparing for November’s general election, when our endorsees will face challengers, some of whom strongly oppose LGBTQ rights. We are also working hard alongside our partners in the Yes on 3 Campaign to defend the current law protecting our transgender friends and neighbors from discrimination in public spaces. With the support of our members throughout the state, MassEquality will continue working hard to turn these primary election wins into solid victories for fairness, justice and equality in November.”

The MassEquality PAC will announce further endorsements in the coming weeks for the general election on November 6th. For more information about our endorsed candidates, and to volunteer to support LGBTQ champions in their election campaigns, visit http://www.MassEqualityPAC.org.
MassEquality PAC Announces Fourth Round of 2018 Legislative Endorsements
On August 24, 2018, the MassEquality PAC announced its fourth round of endorsements for the 2018 Massachusetts legislative races.

First-time candidates for state Representative endorsed by MassEquality PAC in this round include:
The PAC has also endorsed John Drinkwater, who is running for former state Senator Eileen Donoghue’s seat in the 1^st Middlesex district.

“We’re proud to support these outstanding champions of LGBTQ rights in their races,” said MassEquality Executive Director Deborah Shields, JD, MPH. “We look forward to working with these dedicated and effective advocates in the State House.”

MassEquality PAC has also endorsed the following incumbent state Representatives in their re-election campaigns:
“These incumbent candidates have a long and well-established record of supporting LGBTQ rights,” Ms. Shields added. “We are pleased to endorse them for re-election, and look forward to continuing our work with them on legislation vital to our community.”

In addition, the PAC has endorsed Boston City Councilor Josh Zakim for Secretary of State. “Josh Zakim’s commitment to progressive values ensures that he will be a great champion of equality and fairness in the Commonwealth as Secretary of State,” Shields commented.

For more information on the candidates and the MassEquality PAC endorsement process, please visit www.massequalitypac.org.

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The MassEquality PAC stands with, develops, and elects candidates who outspokenly champion justice and equality for all LGBTQ people across Massachusetts. Since 2004, the PAC has consistently researched, interviewed and endorsed pro-equality candidates for both state and local offices. The six-member board works tirelessly to ensure that these candidates have the platforms to advocate for equality for all members of the LGBTQ community.
MassEquality Voter Guides: Endorsed Candidates and Voting While LGBTQ+
MassEquality has created two new voter guides to help members of the LGBTQ community navigate the voting system and to remind voters of our 2018 endorsed candidates. The MassEquality PAC Endorsements flyer is your reference guide to all of our endorsed LGBTQ champions, and the MassEquality Guide to Voting While LGBTQ+ provides important information about how Massachusetts’ voting laws affect LGBTQ people.

We’ve added images and links to these flyers in the sidebar on this web site that you can click to download these guides (PDF files – Endorsement flyer is 2 pages) so you can take them with you when you go to vote.

Additional candidate endorsements will be announced as the election season continues, and the Endorsements flyer will be updated to reflect new candidate endorsements and the results of the Primaries on September 4th.

[Photo credit: Personalincome.org/vote CC-BY-2.0]
MassEquality PAC Announces 3rd Round of 2018 Legislative Endorsements
On August 1, 2018, the MassEquality PAC announced its third round of endorsements for the 2018 Massachusetts legislative races.

First-time candidates for state Senate endorsed by MassEquality PAC in this round include:
“We’re proud to endorse all three of these challengers in their state Senate races,” said MassEquality Executive Director Deborah Shields, JD, MPH. “Becca Rausch is a dedicated, progressive community leader, and Jo and Amaad are open and proud members of the LGBTQ community. We know they will be strong champions of LGBTQ rights on Beacon Hill.”

MassEquality PAC has also endorsed incumbent state Representatives Liz Malia (11^th Suffolk) and Jeffrey Sánchez (15^th Suffolk) in their re-election campaigns.

“These incumbent candidates have a long and well-established record of supporting LGBTQ rights,” Ms. Shields added. “We are pleased to endorse them for re-election, and look forward to continuing our work with them in the State House.”

For more information on the candidates and the MassEquality PAC endorsement process, please visit our Endorsement Information page.
MassEquality PAC Announces 2nd Round of 2018 Legislative Endorsements
On July 11, 2018, the MassEquality PAC announced its second round of endorsements for the 2018 Massachusetts legislative races.

First-time candidates for state Representative endorsed by MassEquality PAC in this round include:
- Tram Nguyen (18^th Essex)
- Tanya Neslusan (1^st Hampden)
The PAC also endorses Sue Chalifoux Zephir (Worcester & Middlesex) for state Senate, as it did in the special election for this seat in December.

“All three of these candidates are well known as advocates for LGBTQ rights, with a strong record of supporting equality and fairness for all,” said MassEquality Executive Director Deborah Shields, JD, MPH. “Both Sue and Tanya are challenging incumbents who are well-known for their anti-LGBTQ positions, and Tanya is a proud member of the LGBTQ community. We are pleased to support these candidates in their races.”

MassEquality PAC is also proud to endorse two additional incumbent candidates:
- Massachusetts Attorney General Maura Healey
- Senator Jason Lewis (5^th Middlesex)
“Our latest endorsed incumbent candidates are deeply committed to the fight for equality and justice,” Ms. Shields added. “We cannot overstate the importance of the work both Maura Healey and Jason Lewis have done to defend LGBTQ rights in Massachusetts. We are honored to endorse them for re-election, and look forward to continue working side by side with them on issues vital to our community.”
Maura Healey – Massachusetts Attorney General
Maura Healey Campaign Web Site

Maura Healey has served as Massachusetts Attorney General since January, 2015—one of many accomplishments in a long career dedicated to fighting for justice and equality. She is the first openly gay Attorney General in the United States, and proudly leads what she considers to be the “people’s law firm.” Maura’s game-changing contributions at the helm of two prominent divisions of the attorney general’s office — the Business & Labor and Public Protection & Advocacy Bureaus — helped make the office a state and national powerhouse.
- Healey was the architect of the of the Commonwealth’s landmark challenge to the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA), and led the winning argument of the nation’s first lawsuit striking it down. She and her team filed briefs in the Supreme Court marriage equality cases that declared DOMA unconstitutional and overturned California’s same-sex marriage ban.
- Maura and her team were instrumental in securing statewide non-discrimination protections in Massachusetts for transgender people in employment, housing, education, credit and hate crimes. More recently, her office’s popular #EveryoneWelcome social media campaign raised awareness and support for the law that protects transgender people in the Bay State from discrimination in public spaces.
- She has worked extensively to combat bullying in the Commonwealth’s schools, and to train law enforcement on best practices in preventing hate crimes.
MassEquality is proud to once again endorse Maura in her re-election campaign.
MassEquality PAC Announces 1st Round of Endorsements in 2018 Races
Today, the MassEquality PAC announced its first round of endorsements for the 2018 legislative races.

First-time candidates endorsed by MassEquality PAC include:
- Gretchen Van Ness (14^th Suffolk)
- Sabrina Heisey (36^th Middlesex)
“Both of these candidates have been effective advocates and supporters of LGBTQ equality in their communities,” said MassEquality Executive Director Deborah Shields, JD, MPH. “We are confident that they will also be outstanding champions of LGBTQ rights on Beacon Hill.”

MassEquality PAC’s incumbent endorsees include:
“Our endorsed incumbent candidates have a proven track record of consistently supporting legislation that is vital to our community,” Ms. Shields added. “Representative Lewis and Senator Cyr are particularly strong advocates in the Legislature, and Senator Eldridge has a long record of standing with our community. We are proud to endorse these candidates, and we look forward to working with them in the State House to ensure everyone in Massachusetts enjoys equality and justice.”

For more information on the candidates, their platforms and the MassEquality PAC endorsement process, please visit www.massequalitypac.org.

MassEquality PAC News

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