Erik Bottcher has received an endorsement from Equality PAC, the political action arm of the Congressional Equality Caucus, as he runs to succeed longtime Democratic U.S. Rep. Jerry Nadler, who plans to retire at the end of next year.
The openly gay Democrat, who represents Chelsea and won re-election to the New York City Council in last month’s municipal elections, is running for Manhattan’s 12th Congressional District, which Nadler has represented — through multiple redistricting cycles — since 1992.
Shortly after filing paperwork in October, Bottcher shattered a state record for the most money raised within 24 hours, pulling in $683,241.
The 46-year-old enters a crowded field of contenders that includes gun violence prevention activist Cameron Kasky, who identifies as queer; State Assemblymembers Alex Bores and Micah Lasher; Manhattan Community Board member Jami Floyd; nonprofit CEO Liam Elkind; private equity executive Alan Pardee; and writer and political commentator Jack Schlossberg, the grandson of former President John F. Kennedy.
Equality PAC has pledged to support Bottcher throughout his campaign and ensure he has the resources to compete in the Democratic primary, whose winner is favored to win the seat in the 2026 general election.
“Erik Bottcher has been an exceptional force on the New York City Council, consistently delivering real results on challenges that matter to families — affordable housing, mental health services, community safety, and protecting LGBTQ rights,” Equality PAC Co-Chairs Mark Takano (D-Calif.) and Congressman Ritchie Torres (D-N.Y.) said in a joint statement.
“As Congressman Jerry Nadler concludes a historic tenure, the 12th District, which includes the historic LGBTQ neighborhoods of Chelsea and Hell’s Kitchen, deserves a representative who will carry that legacy of service into the next generation,” Takano and Torres continued. “Erik has the experience, the vision, and the determination to do exactly that.”
Since its formation in 2014, Equality PAC has endorsed and raised money on behalf of out LGBTQ candidates for Congress, including Torres, who faced a contentious Democratic primary in 2020.
The organization has also backed the successful campaigns of U.S. Reps. Becca Balint (D-Vt.), Sharice Davids (D-Kan.), Robert Garcia (D-Calif.), Eric Sorensen (D-Ill.), Angie Craig (D-Minn.), Chris Pappas (D-N.H.), Julie Johnson (D-Texas), Emily Randall (D-Wash.), and Sarah McBride (D-Del.), the first out transgender member of Congress.
Bottcher thanked Equality PAC for its support and noted he had also received a separate endorsement from LGBTQ+ Victory Fund.
“Equality PAC and Victory Fund have been on the front lines of the fight for LGBTQ+ rights and justice,” Bottcher said in a statement. “Their trust means a great deal to me. At a time when extremists are trying to roll back hard-won progress and target our community, we need voices in Congress who will meet this moment with courage, clarity, and conviction. I’m running to protect our rights, defend our democracy, and ensure every person in this country can live safe, free, and with dignity.”
Equality PAC made two other endorsements for the 2026 midterms: Cait Conley, a combat veteran and former senior advisor to the Department of Homeland Security’s Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, who is challenging Republican Rep. Mike Lawler in New York’s 17th Congressional District; and Illinois State Sen. Mike Simmons (D-Chicago), who is running to succeed retiring Democratic Rep. Jan Schakowsky in Illinois’ 9th Congressional District.
U.S. Rep. Julie Johnson, one of several Democrats targeted in Texas's latest gerrymander, says she will seek reelection after a federal three-judge panel blocked a Republican-backed congressional map that would have drawn her out of her Dallas-area district for 2026.
The lesbian congresswoman is one of five Texas Democrats whose districts were reshaped to give Republicans a 2026 edge, and among several Democrats who were effectively drawn out of the seats they currently represent.
In Johnson's case, the proposed map would have stretched her Dallas-based 32nd District into Republican-leaning Rockwall County and rural East Texas, while shifting her hometown of Farmers Branch into GOP Rep. Beth Van Duyne's 24th District, a seat Trump won by 16 points in 2024.
As Democrats celebrated major wins in key state contests on November 4, a wave of out LGBTQ candidates scored victories of their own in local and down-ballot races, further boosting LGBTQ representation in public office.
In Virginia, boosted by Abigail Spanberger's win in the governor's race, Democrats picked up 13 seats in the 100-member House of Delegates, increasing the size of their caucus to 64. All six incumbent LGBTQ delegates who were up for re-election -- Rozia Henson (D-Woodbridge), Laura Jane Cohen (D-Burke), Mark Sickles (D-Franconia), Adele McClure (D-Arlington), Joshua Cole (D-Fredericksburg) and Cia Price (D-Newport News) -- won their races.
Five major LGBTQ groups have endorsed California State Sen. Scott Wiener (D-San Francisco) in his bid for California's 11th Congressional District, currently represented by House Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi, who announced her retirement last month.
Among the organizations backing Wiener are The Human Rights Campaign, the nation's largest LGBTQ advocacy organization; Equality California, the state's largest LGBTQ advocacy organization; Equality PAC, the political arm of the Congressional LGBTQ Equality Caucus; the LGBTQ+ Victory Fund, which works to increase LGBTQ political representation; and the California Legislative LGBTQ Caucus.
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