Politics
5 Senate Democrats not sponsoring ENDA
Supporters looking for 60 votes as vote expected this summer
5 Democratic U.S. senators don’t co-sponsor ENDA (Photos public domain)
Amid renewed attention to the Employment Non-Discrimination Act, a total of five Democratic senators have so far declined to co-sponsor the legislation.
During a Pride reception at the White House last week, President Obama gave ENDA a boost when he said “we need to get” the legislation passed. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) broke with tradition when he signed as a co-sponsor of the bill immediately afterward.
Just last week, Sen. Heidi Heitkamp (D-N.D.), a conservative Democrat who voted against expanded background checks for gun sales, signed on as a co-sponsor. The office of Sen. Tom Carper (D-Del.) confirmed to the Washington Blade on Monday he’ll also sign on in support of the bill.
But five Democrats in the Senate still aren’t co-sponsors of the legislation: Sens. Bill Nelson (D-Fla.), Mark Pryor (D-Ark.), Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.), Jay Rockefeller (D-W.Va.) and Tim Johnson (D-S.D.).
A spokesperson for Sen. Nelson said he is traveling today and unavailable for immediate comment. The other four offices didn’t immediately respond to requests for comment.
Tico Almeida, president of Freedom to Work, said there’s “simply no valid excuse” for any Democratic senator to withhold their support for ENDA as a full Senate vote on the legislation approaches.
“If any of these senators vote ‘no’ on ENDA, they will betray our American values of fairness and equal opportunity and they will turn their backs on hardworking gay and transgender citizens who simply want a fair shot to hold a job in a really tough economy,” Almeida said.
Four of these Democrats — Nelson, Rockefeller, Johnson, Pryor — voted for “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” repeal in 2010. Manchin didn’t vote on the bill, but later said withholding the vote was “wrong.”
Their support could be needed quickly if, as promised by Reid in his Pride statement, the floor vote on ENDA comes up “soon.” Senate Health, Education, Labor & Pensions Committee Chair Tom Harkin (D-Iowa) is expected to report the legislation out of committee this summer.
Almeida called for action from the Democratic National Committee and the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee to persuade these five senators to declare their support for ENDA and make clear a vote in favor of the bill is “a bedrock principle for all Democrats in good standing.”
“It would also be great if President Obama, Vice President Joe Biden, and the White House legislative team got in the game by aggressively lobbying these hold-out Democrats in the weeks and months to come,” Almeida said. “In fact, President Obama could set a good example for the hold-out Democrats by signing his long overdue executive order, which is not ‘hypothetical’ no matter what some staffers want to pretend.”
Notably, Sen. Mary Landrieu (D-La.) is an ENDA co-sponsor even though she’s one of three U.S. Senate Democrats who have not come out in support of marriage equality. The other two are Manchin and Pryor.
Assuming all 54 senators in the Democratic caucus vote for ENDA, a total of six additional Republicans would be needed for 60 votes to end the likely filibuster of the legislation on the Senate floor. Two Republicans are already co-sponsors: Sens. Susan Collins (R-Maine) and Mark Kirk (R-Ill.).
The additional Republicans who are seen as the most likely supporters are Sens. Rob Portman (R-Ohio), Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska), Jeffery Chiesa (R-N.J.), Jeff Flake (R-Ariz.), Richard Burr (R-N.C.) and Dean Heller (R-Nev.).
Portman came out for marriage equality earlier this year after learning his son is gay. During an interview at a Buzzfeed Brews Event in May, Portman said he “totally support[s] the concept” of ENDA, but has concerns about “litigation that could result” and “religious freedom.”
Jeffrey Sadosky, a Portman spokesperson, expressed a similar sentiment on the Ohio Republican’s views on ENDA in an email to the Blade on Monday.
“Senator Portman is strongly opposed to discrimination and is looking at proposals to address it,” Sadosky said. “He is concerned about excessive reliance on litigation as a tool for social change, and will continue to review the most recent version of ENDA.”
Murkowski and Burr were two Republicans who voted for “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” repeal in 2010. But while Murkowski voted for cloture and to pass the measure, Burr only voted for final passage and withheld his vote for cloture.
Chiesa comes from a traditionally “blue” state that already has a statewide law prohibiting LGBT employment non-discrimination. He hasn’t yet articulated a position on ENDA.
Flake, a relative newcomer to the Senate, is also contender to support ENDA because as U.S. House member, he voted for a version of the legislation that came to the House floor in 2007 (although he also voted for the motion to recommit, which would have killed the bill). Still, Flake recently took an anti-gay position when he said he’d abandon comprehensive immigration reform if a provision for bi-national same-sex couples was included in the bill.
Heller is also a relative newcomer to the Senate, but also in play because he represents a moderate state and twice voted in favor of LGBT-inclusive reauthorization of the Violence Against Women Act.
Gregory Angelo, executive director of Log Cabin Republicans, said his organization has been working to lobby Republicans — moderates and conservatives alike — to support ENDA. He declined to comment on the content of the talks.
“In the realm of lobbying, the Log Cabin Republicans mantra is to leave no stone unturned,” Angelo said. “I’m constantly on the Hill outlining our reasons of support for ENDA, both among Republican members of the Senate and members of the House. This isn’t about going after moderates but about making the case to common-sense conservatives that no one should be fired from their job because they happen to be gay.”
Another issue is the upcoming special election for the U.S. Senate seat in Massachusetts on June 25. The winner of that race will likely vote on ENDA instead of the interim U.S. Sen. William Maurice “Mo” Cowan.
Both candidates have expressed support for the bill. But the Democratic candidate, Rep. Ed Markey (D-Mass.), is a co-sponsor of ENDA in the House. The Republican candidate, Gabriel Gomez, came out in support of ENDA in a statement provided to the Washington Blade by his campaign last week.
2026 Midterm Elections
Markey’s primary win deemed success for LGBTQ activists
Mass. lawmaker champions transgender rights
U.S. Sen. Ed Markey (D-Mass.) clinched the Democratic seat for his reelection campaign in Massachusetts’s primary election on Tuesday.
Markey won the deep-blue state with 64.8 percent of the vote, according to NBC News, triumphing over Marine Corps combat veteran and Congressman Seth Moulton, who received 35.2 percent of the vote.
Massachusetts’s primary election, which determined which Democratic candidate will head to the polls to face off against the Republican challenger in November, is being considered a victory for LGBTQ-inclusive policy, as well as for a divisive pro-transgender rights candidate — both things Markey has become an outspoken champion of.
Markey has experience at multiple levels of government, from the state level, where he served three terms in the state House of Representatives, to his federal tenure, including 20 terms in the U.S. House of Representatives and is now serving his second term as a senator. He has become a fixture of a changing Democratic Party in one of the most consistently blue places in the U.S.
This primary — and much of the national discussion surrounding the Senate seat — focused a lot of campaigning power on fighting the growing sentiment, led mostly by Republicans, that the frustration many Americans feel lends itself to an anti-establishment and anti-incumbent attitude.
Markey ran his campaign using his past as a reflection of his commitment to constantly putting his best foot forward for Bay Staters — particularly with apprehension for issues younger and more progressive democrats have been righting for — including Green New Deal and “Medicare for All” while Moulton — who was also elected to federal office prior to this run — campaigned on being younger than Markey, arguing that he was not the same type of established politician.
Moulton also faced backlash for negative comments about trans athletes, sparking criticism for those who did want younger candidate but want for trans rights to be protected.
Markey’s track record of supporting the LGBTQ community is one of the most clear in federal politics, one that has garnered a “100 percent lifetime voting record” on the Human Rights Campaign’s PAC politician review scorecard.
That list of Markey’s actions includes being a cosponsor of the Equality Act, driving landmark legislation to ensure federal protections for LGBTQ Americans, and being one of the most vocal proponents for trans rights in the federal government — specifically in multiple appropriations bills and in the National Defense Authorization Act. He was also the lead sponsor of the Transgender Health Care Access Act and the Transgender Bill of Rights resolution.
Markey first introduced the Transgender Bill of Rights in the Senate in 2023, where it ultimately failed to be brought to law. He reintroduced the legislation this year once again. This was a direct response to the attitude pushed by many conservatives after 2021, when the push to minimize trans rights started to become a key part of their cause and has been constantly propped up by the Trump-Vance administration.
“Massachusetts needs a senator who stands up and fights back, a senator who never forgets who they are fighting for,” Markey said during his victory speech. “That has been the mission of my life, and it always will be.”
Following the calling of the primary, a slew of LGBTQ organizations rallied behind Markey, many pushing his past as an asset that puts his money where his mouth is through advocating for legislation specifically protecting the LGBTQ community.
Tyler Hack, the executive director of the Christopher Street Project, an organization dedicated to pushing for legal protections for trans americans, released a statement following Markey’s win. Hack argued that putting forward such a staunchly pro-trans candidate is a win for the community, especially after endorsing him earlier this year.
“Tonight, anti-trans politics lost. Massachusetts rejected the idea that attacking transgender people is a shortcut to political power. Voters chose a different path: one where equality is not negotiable, cruelty is not courage, and transgender people do not have to disappear for Democrats to succeed.”
The Human Rights Campaign also endorsed him as a candidate earlier this year and issued a statement via its president, Kelley Robinson.
“Ed Markey has spent decades fighting for LGBTQ+ equality, for working people, and for a more livable world,” Robinson said. “He knows why equality matters. He’s stood with us no matter what. We were proud to endorse him this year, and when a pro-equality majority takes back the Senate this fall, we will continue to count on him as a champion for our community.”
Markey is running for reelection against Republican John Deaton in November, where he is expected to win.
Congress
HRC president campaigns for Chris Pappas in NH
Gay congressman running to succeed retiring U.S. Sen. Jeanne Shaheen
Human Rights Campaign President Kelley Robinson on Sunday campaigned for U.S. Rep. Chris Pappas (D-N.H.) in New Hampshire.
Robinson traveled to Manchester, the state’s largest city, nine days before the Sept. 8 primary that will determine who will vie for retiring U.S. Sen. Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.)’s seat.
We’re hitting the pavement across New Hampshire to fight for a freer, fairer future for everyone.
Glad to have Human Rights Campaign President @KelleyJRobinson join us for a canvass launch in Manchester today. pic.twitter.com/XWCEaQxy4o
— Chris Pappas (@ChrisPappasNH) August 30, 2026
Former U.S. Sen. John E. Sununu, who represented New Hampshire in the U.S. Senate from 2003-2009, will face off against former U.S. Sen. Scott Brown, who represented Massachusetts in the U.S. Senate from 2010-2013, in the Republican primary.
Karishma Manzur is among the Democrats challenging Pappas.
A poll the University of New Hampshire Survey Center released on Aug. 26 shows Sununu is ahead of Brown. The same survey shows Pappas ahead of Manzur and his other Democratic challengers.
The UNH Survey Center poll shows Sununu ahead of Pappas by a 45-43 percent margin if they were to face off in the general election. The margin of error is +/-2.1 percent.
Pappas would become the first openly gay man elected to the U.S. Senate if he were to win in November.
Congress
Chris Van Hollen says the Democratic Party needs change. Is he the one to lead it?
Senator is backing anti-establishment Democrats across the country
By LEE O. SANDERLIN | The Democratic Party is having something of an identity crisis — losing to President Donald Trump twice in three elections will do that.
Should the party embrace anti-establishment figures who espouse progressive policy ideas like Medicare for all and rhetoric about unrigging the economy for the 1 percent? Or should Democrats try to appeal to moderates who want to return to semi-normalcy in a time of political upheaval?
Although he’s been in Congress since 2002, with key leadership roles throughout his tenure, Maryland Sen. Chris Van Hollen, 67, counts himself firmly in the anti-establishment camp.
The rest of this article can be found on the Baltimore Banner’s website.
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