LGBTQ+ Victory Fund Endorses Joe Vogel for Congress
National group dedicated to increasing LGBTQ political representation throws support behind out gay state delegate.
Maryland State Del. Joe Vogel, the out gay man seeking to represent the state’s 6th Congressional District in the U.S. House of Representatives, has been endorsed by the LGBTQ+ Victory Fund
As the national organization dedicated to elected out LGBTQ leaders to Congress, Victory Fund’s endorsements hold significant weight and indicate that the organization perceives that the candidate is running a viable campaign for the office in question, and is well-organized enough to merit support from other donors and organizations.
If elected, Vogel, who is Latino and Jewish, would be the first out LGBTQ person ever elected to Congress from Maryland, and the second member of Generation Z elected to Congress from any state.
In his bid for office, Vogel has sought to cast himself as a youthful voice and well-rounded politician who can rely on a variety of experiences to tackle the country’s most pressing issues.
“[W]hen you look at the threats that we’re facing as a country and the challenges that we’re facing — whether it’s the attacks on our democracy, the reversal of fundamental rights, the climate crisis, the gun violence epidemic, the mental health crisis — these are issues that don’t give us time to wait because every day we wait, the problems get worse and worse and worse,” he told Metro Weekly in an interview earlier this year.
“I think we need a new generation of leaders with new ideas, with new energy, with courage to be able to deliver on these fronts,” he said at the time. “The status quo of our politics makes us believe that these issues can’t be resolved, can’t be addressed. So we need leaders who look at these issues and say ‘enough is enough’ and we are going to demand change.”
“LGBTQ+ Victory Fund is proud to endorse Joe’s historic congressional campaign,” Annise Parker, a former mayor of Houston, Texas, who serves as LGBTQ+ Victory Fund’s president and CEO, said in a statement.
“For far too long, LGBTQ+ Marylanders have lacked representation in Congress. We are confident Joe’s positive vision for America, political chops and grassroots support will resonate with voters come Election Day,” Parker continued. “As anti-LGBTQ and anti-choice legislation moves through legislative bodies across the country, including Congress, we must elect leaders like Joe who will go to bat for our rights. This is an all-hands-on-deck moment.”
Vogel thanked the organization for its endorsement in a statement.
“Victory Fund recognizes the importance of expanding LGBTQ+ representation at all levels of government and that the fight for equality and freedom is ongoing,” Vogel said. “I’m honored to have received their endorsement and I’m proud to stand by them in their commitment to advancing LGBTQ+ equality.”
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