Press Release

Victory Fund Announces Five New Endorsements

 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Denis Dison (202) 842-7308, denis.dison@victoryfund.org

Washington DC – August 3, 2006 - The Gay & Lesbian Victory Fund, the nation’s largest gay and lesbian political action committee, announced today its endorsement of five more candidates, including two non-incumbents and two incumbents running as openly gay for the first time, bringing the total number of endorsed candidates to 64 this year.  

“Equality begins with respect, and these highly qualified candidates have earned the respect of their peers and their communities. Their commitment to public service will be an important component of advancing true equality,” said Chuck Wolfe, president and CEO of the Victory Fund.  The endorsed candidates are:

• Gary Fitzsimmons, a Democrat running for Dallas County District Clerk against a Republican incumbent.
• Pat Coluzzi, who is running for an open seat in a non-partisan race to become a city commissioner in Rehoboth Beach, Delaware.
• Stephen Padilla, a Democrat and the incumbent mayor of Chula Vista, California, who came out last year at a Pride rally.  He’s in a tight race for reelection.
• Anne Kaiser, a Democrat running for reelection to her seat in the Maryland House of Delegates.
• Jim Graham, a Democrat, who is running for reelection to his seat on the District of Columbia City Council.

A complete list of endorsed candidates is available online at www.victoryfund.org.

The Gay & Lesbian Victory Fund provides strategic, technical and financial support to openly LGBT candidates and officials. It’s the only national organization solely committed to increasing the number of openly LGBT public officials at federal, state and local levels of government.  Victory is the nation’s largest LGBT political action committee and one of the nation’s largest non-connected PACs.  In 15 years, Victory has helped the number of openly LGBT officials grow from 49 to more than 300.
For more information, visit www.victoryfund.org.