ARIZONA — Today the Human Rights Campaign PAC (HRC PAC) announced its endorsement of Kathy Hoffman for Superintendent of Public Instruction in Arizona. HRC PAC is committed to engaging our volunteers, members and supporters to mobilize the 1.3 million Equality Voters in Arizona in support of Kelly and other pro-equality candidates up and down the ballot in November.

Human Rights Campaign Arizona State Director Bridget Sharpe released the following statement:

“Our schools should protect all students – including LGBTQ+ students – and respect all families. But LGBTQ+ children in Arizona, particularly transgender youth, have been targeted by extremist legislators who foolishly believe peddling hate against children will win them support at the ballot box. We need leaders like Kathy Hoffman, a former teacher and steadfast advocate for the LGBTQ+ community, in positions of power. We know she will continue fighting for all children so they can learn and thrive in a safe environment. The Human Rights Campaign is proud to endorse her bid for reelection as the Superintendent of Public Instruction in Arizona and is committed to fighting alongside her.”

Hoffman was elected Arizona Superintendent of Public Instruction in 2018. In her first year in office, Hoffman supported a lawsuit challenging a state law that barred educators from discussing LGBTQ+ people or issues in schools. She also signed a pledge in support of full inclusion and equality in employment, housing, and public accommodations for all Arizonans, including LGBTQ+ people. This legislative session, Hoffman consistently spoke out against anti-LGBTQ+ bills and the harm they would cause to the LGBTQ+ community, joining HRC for press conferences and other public-facing events. Hoffman sits on the State Board of Education, State Charter School Board, and the Board of Regents. During State Board of Education meetings, she is always a strong voice for medically accurate and LGBTQ+ inclusive sex education and education in general.

HRC’s Commitment to Arizona

Equality Voters, including the 1.3 million in Arizona, 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.

HRC has had staff and resources on the ground in Arizona since 2017. Across the country, HRC PAC 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.