Information for Candidates
Thank you for your commitment to service. Our communities are stronger because of people like you that have chosen to run for office with the vision of giving back to those around you.
Equal Rights Washington (ERW) is a statewide, non-partisan, non-profit organization dedicated to ensuring and promoting the dignity, safety, and equality of all LGBTQ Washingtonians. If you are interested in seeking ERW’s endorsement, please complete our endorsement questionnaire and return it to endorsements@equalrightswashington.org.
As candidates, we know you have a stack of endorsement questionnaires to complete. Out of respect for that workload, we want to let you know that our endorsements will be made on a rolling basis. Though we are making the questionnaire available to everybody now, we will not start making endorsements until after the May 15th filing deadline. We will notify candidates one week in advance before we close consideration of their race. Once a race is closed, we will not consider additional endorsements unless our endorsed candidate is eliminated.
We invite all candidates on the ballot to seek our endorsement. The endorsement process will consist of a questionnaire, possible interview, and vote of our endorsement committee. We review hundreds of candidates for endorsement every year, and will review your questionnaire as soon as we possibly can.
Equal Rights Washington (ERW) is a statewide, non-partisan, non-profit organization dedicated to ensuring and promoting the dignity, safety, and equality of all LGBTQ Washingtonians. If you are interested in seeking ERW’s endorsement, please complete our endorsement questionnaire and return it to endorsements@equalrightswashington.org.
As candidates, we know you have a stack of endorsement questionnaires to complete. Out of respect for that workload, we want to let you know that our endorsements will be made on a rolling basis. Though we are making the questionnaire available to everybody now, we will not start making endorsements until after the May 15th filing deadline. We will notify candidates one week in advance before we close consideration of their race. Once a race is closed, we will not consider additional endorsements unless our endorsed candidate is eliminated.
We invite all candidates on the ballot to seek our endorsement. The endorsement process will consist of a questionnaire, possible interview, and vote of our endorsement committee. We review hundreds of candidates for endorsement every year, and will review your questionnaire as soon as we possibly can.
2024 Endorsement Questionnaire
Coming Soon!!!
Endorsement FAQ's
1. Does a candidate have to identify as gay, lesbian, bisexual, or transgender in order to be endorsed?
No. ERW always opened its endorsement process to any candidate willing to seek our endorsement, regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity or expression. We endorse the best candidates for the job who will represent the LGBTQ community well.
2. When does ERW normally endorse candidates?
The time frame for endorsement varies from race to race based on a variety of factors. We offer an endorsement once we have completed questionnaires from all candidates seeking our endorsement in a race.
3. Does ERW ever make dual endorsements in a race?
Yes. While rare, we may offer a dual endorsement in some races if we feel both candidates will represent the LGBTQ community well.
4. I decided to run for office after you endorsed - will you reconsider your endorsement so I can compete for it?
We require all candidates seeking our endorsement to meet certain requirements and deadlines in order to be eligible for endorsement. Once our committee has endorsed a candidate, we do not reconsider that endorsement unless there is extraordinary circumstances.
No. ERW always opened its endorsement process to any candidate willing to seek our endorsement, regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity or expression. We endorse the best candidates for the job who will represent the LGBTQ community well.
2. When does ERW normally endorse candidates?
The time frame for endorsement varies from race to race based on a variety of factors. We offer an endorsement once we have completed questionnaires from all candidates seeking our endorsement in a race.
3. Does ERW ever make dual endorsements in a race?
Yes. While rare, we may offer a dual endorsement in some races if we feel both candidates will represent the LGBTQ community well.
4. I decided to run for office after you endorsed - will you reconsider your endorsement so I can compete for it?
We require all candidates seeking our endorsement to meet certain requirements and deadlines in order to be eligible for endorsement. Once our committee has endorsed a candidate, we do not reconsider that endorsement unless there is extraordinary circumstances.
We encourage anyone to contact us to learn more about our communities and/or the issues we are advocating for. Please email us at endorsements@equalrightswashington.org.
2024 Endorsements
Equal Rights Washington (c4) plays a role in elevating LGBTQ-related issues to the to the forefront during an election cycle. ERW’s non-partisan endorsement committee uses a specific set of carefully developed criteria in making our endorsements. We back candidates who have a track record of support for LGBTQ equality in a number of areas, and who advocate on behalf of the issues we support, such as trans justice, gender and racial equity, anti-bullying and LGBTQ youth empowerment.
Questions? Contact endorsements@equalrightswashington.org
Questions? Contact endorsements@equalrightswashington.org
2024 General Election Endorsements
Coming Soon!!