Exclusive: Jim Obergefell endorses Angie Craig for U.S. Senate

Gay civil rights icon Jim Obergefell, whose fight for the right to marry reshaped American law and society, has endorsed Minnesota Congresswoman Angie Craig in her bid for the U.S. Senate, tying one of the most consequential LGBTQ+ court victories in history to a political contest over the future of those rights.

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Obergefell, the lead plaintiff in the landmark 2015 U.S. Supreme Court case Obergefell v. Hodges, announced his endorsement Monday, praising the Minnesota congresswoman as a candidate who understands both the personal and political stakes of LGBTQ+ equality.

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“Angie has never backed down from a fight,” Obergefell said in a statement to The Advocate. “While LGBTQ rights are at risk, we can count on Angie to stand up to these threats and do the right thing.”

Craig, who represents Minnesota’s 2nd Congressional District, said Obergefell’s advocacy made her own family possible under federal law.

“Jim’s fight for the ability to marry his husband protected the freedoms of LGBTQ individuals and guaranteed marriage equality for all people in our country,” Craig, a lesbian, said. “His leadership and perseverance through tragedy is the reason my own marriage is federally protected and recognized.”

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The endorsement arrives as Craig seeks to translate her House profile, forged in one of the nation’s most competitive suburban districts, into a statewide campaign. First elected in 2018 after flipping a Republican-held seat, she became the first out LGBTQ+ person elected to represent Minnesota in Congress.

Craig faces a Democratic primary scheduled for August 11, when Minnesota voters will decide who advances to the November general election. Her opponents include Minnesota Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan and entrepreneur Billy Nord. The race opened after Sen. Tina Smith, a fellow Democrat, announced she would not seek reelection, setting off a high-profile contest within Minnesota’s Democratic Farmer Labor Party.

In an interview with The Advocate when she launched her Senate bid last year, Craig indicated that the race was part of a broader national struggle over democracy and civil rights.

“We’re in the fight of our lives,” she said. “But I’m holding up pretty well, and I’m up for the fight.”

Craig, who is married to Cheryl Greene and helped raise four sons, has often spoken about how her family’s story informs her politics and her approach to representation in Washington.

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The Obergefell case ruling legalized same-sex marriages nationwide, but the legal and cultural settlement it represented has increasingly come under strain. Conservative legal movements have challenged LGBTQ+ protections in areas ranging from public accommodations to gender-affirming care.

Craig’s campaign has already attracted support from several prominent Democratic leaders. According to her campaign, endorsers include U.S. Sens. Tammy Baldwin, Andy Kim, Ruben Gallego, Jacky Rosen, and Catherine Cortez Masto, as well as former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg and Virginia Gov. Abigail Spanberger.

Craig’s campaign also says she has received endorsements from national organizations, including Equality PAC, Human Rights Campaign, and Elect Democratic Women, as well as 14 labor unions representing more than 180,000 Minnesotans.

“I know Angie will continue to be a trailblazer in the Senate as she aims to be the first openly LGBTQ Senator from Minnesota,” Obergefell said.