A group of gay lawmakers is endorsing embattled Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz (Fla.), the former chairwoman of the Democratic National Committee (DNC) who was accused of tipping the scales in favor of Hillary Clinton in the presidential primaries.
{mosads}The Equality Political Action Committee, which represents gay lawmakers on Capitol Hill, announced Friday it is endorsing Schultz in her Democratic primary because of her support for LGBT issues, such as ending the Food and Drug Administration’s ban on blood donations from gay men. Schultz has also opposed North Carolina’s controversial transgender bathroom policy.
“The LGBT community cannot win the fight for equality on its own, we need strong allies like Debbie in Congress,” Rep. Mark Takano (D-Calif.), who co-chairs the group, said in a statement. “She doesn’t just get involved on the big, banner issues, but is in the weeds on LGBT policy all across the board.”
“Debbie is on the vanguard of destroying any barrier to the American Dream facing the LGBT community,” he added.
Schultz has faced criticism from Bernie Sanders supporters, who accuse her of helping Clinton secure the Democratic nomination.
She resigned from the DNC in July after being booed off the stage at the party’s national convention, but she is still running for reelection to Congress, where she faces a primary challenge from liberal Tim Canova, a law professor who has Sanders’s endorsement.
A recent poll from the Florida Sun-Sentinel and Florida Atlantic University showed Schultz with a 10-point lead over Canova heading into their Aug. 30 primary.