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

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.

Ashiofu criticized both Chaudhry's admission that she intended to switch to the Green Party after being elected as a Democrat and her request that the information not be made public. "Democratic voters deserve truth, not concealment. Endorsing bodies deserve respect, not attempts to manipulate their process."

He also condemned Chaudhry's admission that she intentionally omitted LGBTQ protections from her campaign platform because she was "careful about her Muslim constituents."

"Our community is not expendable. LGBTQ+ rights are not optional. They are foundational to any candidate seeking Democratic support."

Ashiofu urged Democratic organizations to revisit their endorsements. "When new information reveals misalignment with those principles," he wrote, "it is appropriate for organizations to revisit their decisions and reaffirm their commitment to integrity."

The 33rd Legislative District Democrats, one of the few Democratic organizations to endorse Chaudhry, also publicly questioned whether she had been honest with Democratic voters. Chair Jackie Boschok said the Executive Board was concerned that Chaudhry "has not denied that she would consider changing her political party affiliation after winning as a Democrat with our support."

"Our By-laws allow us to endorse any candidate who shares our progressive values, and we have done so when a candidate has honestly shared their party position," Boschok wrote. "So, her dishonesty undermines our Democratic Party beliefs."

Boschok added, "The more alarming matter is her initial unwillingness to state her support for the LGBTQIA+ community. To support them as a marginalized community, we need leaders who will stand up and actively defend those who are facing daily attacks for being their authentic selves."

Although the 33rd District Democrats said their current bylaws do not allow them to revoke an endorsement, Boschok said the Executive Board has already begun changing those rules because of Chaudhry's case.

"Based on this situation and others like Graham Platner of Maine, our Executive Board found it prudent to immediately start the process to allow us to rescind endorsements in the future."

Chaudhry's political profile has largely centered on opposition to Israel rather than district-specific issues. During both her 2024 and 2026 congressional campaigns, she supported pro-Hamas actions at the University of Washington, including a violent Gaza encampment and the occupation of the school’s brand-new engineering building, resulting in more than $1 million in damage. She has also aligned herself with activists who have defended Hamas following the October 7 massacre and received endorsements from figures criticized for antisemitic rhetoric.

Chaudhry also gained national attention through her advocacy for her husband, Muhammad Zahid Chaudhry, a convicted fraudster from Pakistan who was arrested by ICE during a scheduled citizenship interview.

Court records show he was convicted in Australia in the 1990s of multiple fraud offenses involving another man's passport and stolen credit cards. Authorities later alleged he repeatedly failed to disclose those convictions when applying for US immigration benefits and on employment applications, including applications connected to the Washington Army National Guard and the Yakima Police Department. Immigration officials moved to rescind his permanent resident status in 2003 but mistakenly abandoned the effort after incorrectly believing he had deployed overseas with the National Guard. He later fought deportation for more than a decade.

Although a federal judge recently ordered his release from ICE custody on procedural due process grounds, the court did not rule on the merits of his immigration case. The judge found only that ICE had failed to provide the required notice before detaining him, leaving his underlying immigration case unresolved.

Following publication of The Stranger's report, Chaudhry posted a lengthy response insisting she has long supported LGBTQ rights. She claimed to have founded a Gay-Straight Alliance while in high school, having LGBTQ family members and friends, and pledged to protect LGBTQ Americans if elected.

She argued the endorsement interview had been one of the "least-proud moments" of her campaign and blamed the contentious atmosphere created by Sawant during the endorsement process.