The gay mayor of Providence, R.I., who is running for a seat in Congress, has been endorsed by the Gay and Lesbian Victory Fund.

David Cicilline has been mayor of Providence for eight years and is often credited for a drop in crime and corruption in the New England city. Now Cicilline wants to represent Rhode Island's first congressional district in Washington. He faces a primary challenge in September before the general election in November.

"Mayor Cicilline’s election will be good news not only for the people of Rhode Island but for LGBT Americans everywhere, who will gain another authentic voice in Congress," said Chuck Wolfe, president and CEO of the Victory Fund. "Having managed Providence for the past eight years, Mayor Cicilline knows what Congress needs to do to help cities emerge from a harsh recession and to put Americans back to work."

The Victory Fund provides money and guidance to LGBT candidates on the local and national levels and was instrumental in the victory of Houston's lesbian mayor, Annise Parker.