The LGBTQ Victory Fund on Monday
endorsed the U.S. Senate campaign of Daniel Baer.
Baer, a Democrat, served in the Obama
administration's State Department. In 2013, he was appointed as
ambassador to the Organization for Security and Cooperation in
Europe. He married his longtime partner Brian Walsh in 2014.
In announcing Baer's endorsement,
Victory Fund CEO Annise Parker compared Baer's campaign to Colorado
Governor Jared Polis' historic 2018 victory.
“Coloradans led the country by
electing America's first openly gay governor in 2018 – and in 2020
they will make history again in sending the first out gay man to the
U.S. Senate,” Parker said.
Baer is among the five candidates
running for the Colorado Democratic nomination for the U.S. Senate.
The winner of next year's primary will face Republican Senator Cory
Gardner in the fall.
Parker also noted in her announcement
Baer's strong fundraising and Gardner's opposition to LGBT rights.
“Never before has an openly LGBTQ
Congressional candidate reported such strong initial fundraising
numbers without the benefit of congressional incumbency – an
important indicator, given LGBTQ candidates for high-level office are
often underestimated early in their campaigns,” Parker said. “But
Dan’s authentic and values-driven approach to politics is
resonating with voters, and there is no better candidate to take on
anti-LGBTQ incumbent Cory Gardner than a person so deeply affected by
the discriminatory positions Gardner promotes.”
Victory Fund is the largest political
action committee (PAC) committed to electing LGBT politicians to
office.
(Related: Victory
Fund endorses Pete Buttigieg for president; Stonewall made candidacy
possible, he says.)