One of the nation’s best-known advocacy groups is jumping into Texas politics.
The Human Rights Campaign (HRC), the nation’s largest LGBTQ+ civil rights organization, announced Thursday, June 4, that it was backing Democratic U.S. Senate candidate James Talarico in his campaign against Attorney General Ken Paxton.
The endorsement comes as the organization announced a whopping $15 million investment in key races across the country, including Arizona, California, Georgia, Michigan, Minnesota, New Hampshire, New York, Pennsylvania, Ohio, and Texas, in an effort to elect pro-equality candidates across the country.
“Texans have a clear choice this fall,” HRC President Kelley Robinson said in a news release. “It’s a choice between the most corrupt politician to run in Texas in living memory or an honest, engaging leader in James Talarico, who will fix real problems for families across the state.
“LGBTQ+ Texans deserve someone who rejects the politics of fear and division and stands up for them — for their freedom and for their futures. HRC is proud to endorse James Talarico and activate our over two million Texas Equality Voters to help bring new leadership to the Senate.”
The endorsement from HRC comes after a whirlwind first week of general election campaigning, which has seen Talarico take in millions of dollars within 24 hours of Paxton’s runoff victory, cap off a multi-city road tour across Texas, and take the lead in recent polling.
Talarico’s campaign did not respond to multiple requests for comment on HRC’s endorsement.
Adam Powell covers government and politics for the El Paso Times and can be reached via email at apowell@elpasotimes.com.
This article originally appeared on El Paso Times: Human Rights Campaign backs James Talarico in Texas US Senate race
Reporting by Adam Powell, El Paso Times / El Paso Times
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By Adam Powell, El Paso Times | USA TODAY Network
