""This congressional district has a proud tradition of representatives who've fought for LGBTQ+ rights, from Bella Abzug to Jerry Nadler," he said. "But we've never actually had one of our own at the table. Our community is under attack in terrifying ways, and it's time to take the gloves off.""
""I love my country, and right now it's being torn apart by Donald Trump and his neo-fascist forces.""
"New York City "saved my life.""
Erik Bottcher launched a campaign for New York's 12th Congressional District and entered the 2026 Democratic primary. He is the only out gay candidate in the field and reported raising nearly $700,000 in the first 24 hours after opening an exploratory account. Bottcher represents Manhattan's District 3, covering Chelsea, Hell's Kitchen, Times Square, Flatiron, and the Garment District. He framed his politics through personal survival, recounting attempts at suicide as a closeted teen and a month in a mental health hospital, saying New York City "saved my life." He pledged to confront GOP "corruption, cruelty and chaos," hold Democrats accountable when they "fall short of the moment," and criticized Donald Trump and his "neo-fascist forces." Bottcher cited his recent re-election with 90 percent of the vote and is running for the open seat following Jerry Nadler's retirement.
#erik-bottcher #new-yorks-12th-congressional-district #lgbtq-representation #fundraising #mental-health
Read at Advocate.com
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