Rep. Ritchie Torres (D-NY) will replace Rep. David Cicilline (D-RI) as co-chairman of Equality PAC after Cicilline resigns from Congress in June.
Torres will help lead the Democratic political action committee that supports LGBTQ candidates along with co-chairman Rep. Mark Takano (D-CA). Cicilline announced he would retire from the House on June 1 to lead the Rhode Island Foundation.
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“Congressman Torres is one of Equality PAC’s greatest and proudest success stories,” Takano said in a statement. “We all know that representation matters — and that is why Equality PAC was the first major national organization to endorse his congressional campaign in 2019. As the first LGBTQ Afro-Latino ever elected to Congress, Congressman Torres is a living example of Equality’s PAC mission to make Congress look like America — and that includes LGBTQ America.”
Torres said, “It’s especially an honor to be following in the footsteps of my dear colleague and friend, Rep. Cicilline, whose leadership, vision, and commitment to fighting for equal rights is unparalleled and will be sorely missed in the halls of Congress.”
In an earlier statement, Takano praised Cicilline’s work on LGBTQ issues.
“Since his start in Congress in 2011, Congressman David Cicilline has worked tirelessly to protect, defend, and expand LGBTQ rights,” he said. “As an Equality PAC Co-Chair, Congressman Cicilline has helped mentor and raise millions for LGBTQ congressional candidates and allies over multiple election cycles, helping elect some of the most pro-equality majorities in history.”
Torres was unanimously elected by Equality PAC’s member board this week. He was first elected to Congress in 2020 and is the first openly gay Afro-Latino representative. Both he and Rep. Mondaire Jones (D-NY) were the first openly gay black representatives when they were elected.
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Equality PAC is the political arm of the Congressional LGBTQ Equality Caucus and raises money to spend on openly LGBTQ candidates.
Cicilline just won another term in November, and his decision to leave Congress came as a surprise. His departure will trigger a special election to replace him. He said, “The chance to lead the Rhode Island Foundation was unexpected, but it is an extraordinary opportunity to have an even more direct and meaningful impact on the lives of residents of our state.”
