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by Cullen Peele •
Small business owner with fierce commitment to her working class community pledges to advocate for a more equitable South Texas in Congress
WASHINGTON — Today the Human Rights Campaign (HRC) PAC, the nation’s largest lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer (LGBTQ+) civil rights organization, announced its endorsement of Michelle Vallejo in the race for Texas’ 15th Congressional District seat. She is currently running against incumbent U.S. Representative Monica De La Cruz, who is a staunch opponent of LGBTQ+ equality and reproductive freedom. HRC PAC is committed to engaging its volunteers, members and supporters to mobilize the more than 30,000 Equality Voters in TX-15 in support of Vallejo and other pro-equality candidates up and down the ballot.
The daughter of Mexican immigrants and a native of South Texas, Vallejo developed an early understanding of what many working-class families needlessly face, including difficulty accessing affordable health care. She and her father currently own and operate a flea market, serving thousands of people weekly and helping many local entrepreneurs start their own businesses. Her run for Congress is being fueled by promises to lower health care and education costs, help small businesses grow, protect senior citizens, and support veterans.
Meanwhile, her opponent, Monica De La Cruz, continually opposes the Equality Act, legislation that would prohibit discrimination against LGBTQ+ Americans in areas such as housing, employment, and finances. She has also espoused the bigoted belief that same-sex couples are not considered a “family unit.” Despite desperately scrubbing her website of any anti-choice stances and rhetoric, she has repeatedly voiced opposition to reproductive rights and has voted for legislation supporting deceptive “crisis pregnancy centers.”
HRC’s Commitment to TX-15
Equality Voters, including the more than 30,000 in TX-15, 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. With this endorsement, HRC PAC will work to engage and mobilize Equality Voters in support of Vallejo.
To make a general inquiry, please visit our contact page. Members of the media can reach our press office at: (202) 572-8968 or email press@hrc.org.
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