Democrat looking to unseat Sen. Collins wins key endorsement

PORTLAND, Maine (AP) — A national organization devoted to electing LGBTQ candidates to public office is endorsing for the U.S. Senate in Maine former Google executive Ross LaJeunesse, a Democrat who wants an opportunity to unseat GOP Sen. Susan Collins.

The Victory Fund announced Thursday its endorsement of LaJeunesse , who said it will add to the “momentum and energy” of his campaign in the face of Democratic establishment support for Maine House Speaker Sara Gideon.

"Victory Fund is changing the face of public service in the United States by empowering more elected officials to serve openly and honestly. Mainers believe in those values, and I’ll be a fighter for equality and justice in the U.S. Senate,” LaJeunesse said in a written statement.

The Biddeford native served as head of international relations for Google, working in Asia, and served in several posts in California government, capped by a stint as deputy chief of staff to then-GOP Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger. Before that, he worked in Washington for then-Sens. George Mitchell of Maine and Edward Kennedy of Massachusetts.

LaJeunesse and his husband moved from California to Maine in April.

The Victory Fund noted that LaJeunesse has championed human rights issues in his career, including working on an early draft of the Employment Nondiscrimination Act in the Senate, and executing Google's decision to stop censoring search results in China.

LaJeunesse said the endorsement provides a boost. “It definitely helps. But the way you win races is by doing the hard work that I’m doing. I’m traveling up and down the state, talking about my story,” he told The Associated Press in an interview.

The Victory Fund chose LaJeunesse over two other LGBTQ candidates — activist Betsy Sweet, who is bisexual, and attorney Bre Kidman, who identifies as...