A Washington state Democrat hoping to unseat a longtime member of Congress is facing a revolt from within her own party after reportedly saying she left LGBTQ+ rights off her campaign website because she feared alienating Muslim voters. Melissa Chaudhry, a progressive Democrat challenging Rep. Adam Smith in Washington's 9th Congressional District, made the comments during an endorsement interview with The Stranger, a Seattle-based alternative weekly. The remarks have prompted Democratic organizations to reconsider their endorsements, with the Washington State Stonewall Democrats leading the charge.
When asked why her campaign website did not mention LGBTQ+ issues, Chaudhry replied, «because a lot of Muslims do not feel that way, unfortunately,» according to The Stranger. The comment quickly sparked backlash from LGBTQ+ activists within the Democratic Party. Washington State Stonewall Democrats Chair Andrew Ashiofu told Fox News Digital that the remarks were «disqualifying because they reveal a deliberate choice to hide her positions on LGBTQ+ rights while actively seeking Democratic endorsements.» He added, «Anyone running as a Democrat should be bold enough to stand with our community. When a candidate chooses concealment instead of clarity, it raises serious concerns about honesty, integrity, and alignment with core Democratic values.»
The Washington State Stonewall Democrats have urged organizations that endorsed Chaudhry, including the 11th, 33rd, 37th, and 43rd District Democrats, to reconsider their support. Ashiofu emphasized that «transparency and trust are foundational to the Democratic endorsement process» and that «when a candidate admits to hiding key civil-rights positions or tailoring their message to avoid acknowledging LGBTQ+ people, that undermines the integrity of every organization that endorsed her in good faith.» He also noted that neither Chaudhry nor her campaign has contacted the organization since the controversy became public.
The controversy expanded beyond LGBTQ+ issues after The Stranger also reported that Chaudhry said she intended to run as a Democrat before switching to the Green Party if elected to Congress. The outlet reported that she asked the information not be made public during the endorsement process. That revelation prompted additional concern among local Democratic leaders. According to The Stranger, members of the 33rd District Democrats have discussed changing their bylaws because current rules do not allow an endorsement to be rescinded once it has been awarded.
Conservative radio host and Seattle commentator Jason Rantz, who first reported the controversy for Seattle Red, said the dispute underscores competing priorities within the Democratic coalition. «Democrats built their coalition on the promise that every marginalized identity group wins simultaneously, and Melissa Chaudhry just proved the pandering doesn't always work,» Rantz told Fox News Digital. «When intersectionality forces progressives to rank Muslim voters against LGBTQ activists, somebody gets thrown overboard. Now the same party that preaches inclusion is rewriting its own bylaws to purge one of its own, because in the so-called oppression Olympics, there's always a loser on the podium.»
Chaudhry pushed back on the criticism in a post on X, insisting she has supported LGBTQ+ rights throughout her life. «For the record: I've supported full equality for LGBTQ+ people my entire life — not since this campaign started. My entire life,» she wrote. Chaudhry said her only sibling is LGBTQIA+, that she helped found her high school's Gay Straight Alliance «back when we had to keep the meeting location secret for our own safety,» and that one of her closest friends is «a disabled lesbian woman raising her family against immense stigma.» She added, «This is not a talking point for me. It is the fabric of my life.»
Chaudhry also accused the media of misrepresenting her remarks, writing, «The media that ignored three years of rape and death threats against a federal candidate is now running with a lie. I'm setting the record straight — in my own voice.» She has also said the atmosphere during the endorsement interview contributed to her remarks, describing the meeting as hostile, according to The Stranger. Smith, who has represented Washington's 9th Congressional District since 1997, faces multiple challengers in the Democratic primary, including Chaudhry. Chaudhry's campaign did not immediately respond to a request for comment.