From the Carl Sciortino campaign, July 23: People For the American Way Voters Alliance PAC endorsed state Rep. Carl Sciortino for Congress, praising his strong record of progressive leadership. Sciortino, a member of the Massachusetts House of Representatives, is running to represent Massachusetts’ 5th Congressional District in the U.S. House of Representatives. The seat was recently vacated by Ed Markey on his election to the U.S. Senate.

Since his election in 2004, Sciortino has fought tirelessly for progressive causes. A founding member of the Massachusetts House Progressive Caucus, he has pushed for closing corporate tax loopholes, advocated for better access to transportation and health care, stood up for workers’ rights, and been a staunch defender of LGBT rights. The 2012 Transgender Equal Rights Bill, which Sciortino co-wrote, provided legal protection against discrimination for transgender people in Massachusetts.

Before his election to the state legislature, he served as state director of the affiliated People For the American Way Foundation’s Young Elected Officials Network.

“Carl is a strong leader, a committed public servant and a true progressive,” said People For the American Way Voters Alliance PAC political director Randy Borntrager. “He knows that being a progressive means standing up for Americans from all walks of life; it means fighting for a woman’s right to choose, for better transportation access, for workers’ rights. And he has done all of this in Massachusetts. He has also been a real champion for LGBT rights, achieving a number of significant victories for LGBT people, including the Transgender Equal Rights Bill.

“There’s no question that Carl would defend these principles just as strongly in the U.S. Congress, where we need his powerful progressive voice more than ever. Carl will bring an unmatched dedication to progressive values to his constituents to the U.S. Congress, and we’re proud to endorse him.”

Sciortino said, “We need to change the conversation in Washington and fight hard for progressive values. As a state representative, I have fought to close corporate tax loopholes, protect access to abortion clinics and to make the economy work for regular people – not Wall Street or the big banks. In Congress, I will fight against those who put corporations over the rest of us and tea partiers who want to tell women what to do with their bodies.”