Dem congressional candidate admits she hid pro-LGBTQ views to appeal to Muslim voters

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Melissa Chaudhry, one of the leftist challengers to longtime Democratic Rep. Adam Smith in Washington's 9th Congressional District, is facing backlash after admitting she intentionally did not include support for LGBTQ rights in her campaign platform because she was concerned about how Muslim voters would react. The controversy has prompted calls from the Washington Stonewall Democrats and even one of Chaudhry's own Democratic endorsers to reconsider their support, while raising broader questions about honesty, political strategy, and the direction of her campaign.

When asked during an endorsement interview with progressive outlet The Stranger why her campaign website contained no mention of LGBTQ rights despite her professed support for them, Chaudhry acknowledged she "was careful about her Muslim constituents." Pressed further on why her website omitted support for LGBTQ rights, she explained, "Because a lot of Muslims do not feel that way, unfortunately."

She told the endorsement committee, which previously backed her for a 2024 run, that she supports LGBTQ protections in housing, employment, health care, and justice—but admitted she deliberately omitted those positions from her public campaign platform in an effort to avoid alienating portions of her Muslim voter base.

During the same meeting, Chaudhry attempted to make what she believed was an off-the-record disclosure. "I don't want you to publish this," she said before explaining that, if elected to Congress as a Democrat, she intended to become "the first Green Party member of Congress that would switch parties while I'm in office."

Members of the endorsement committee immediately reminded her that the interview was being conducted entirely on the record, adding, “If there's something you don't want said, don't say it in the meeting." At the time, Chaudhry was seated beside one of her primary opponents, Marxist Kshama Sawant.

Andrew Ashiofu, chair of the Washington Stonewall Democrats, an organization that advocates for LGBTQ rights within the Democratic Party, called on Democratic organizations to reconsider their support for Chaudhry. "As Chair of the Washington State Stonewall Democrats, I want to speak plainly about what we expect from anyone seeking support in WA-09: honesty, transparency, and an unwavering commitment to LGBTQ+ rights," Ashiofu said in a statement.

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