 |
No Matter Who Wins Fair-Minded Candidates Gain Seats in the House and Senate 90% of Human Rights Campaign-Endorsed Candidates Win |
|
Compiled by GayToday
"The combination of moderate Democrats and Republicans has created a fair-minded majority that will help guard us against harm and may help us pass key legislation such as the Hate Crimes Prevention Act and the Employment Non-Discrimination Act. Our work is cut out for us, but we will continue to play a vital role in the U.S. Congress." In addition, she said, "We will expand our statewide partnerships and educational programs around the nation. HRC will never back down in our quest for equality." Once again, the gay and lesbian community proved to be a constituency that provided the margin of victory in several tight races. According to Voter News Service, self-identified gays, lesbians and bisexuals represented 4 percent of voters nationwide. Vice President Al Gore received 70 percent of this vote, while Texas Gov. George W. Bush received 25 percent and Ralph Nader, 4 percent. Voter News Service compiled the figures through exit polls taken by the television networks and The Associated Press. To help deliver results Tuesday, HRC sent a record 25 full-time employees to work in key races. Some 20 graduates of HRC's Youth College campaign training program have been working on political campaigns since the end of August. In addition, HRC contributed more than $1 million to House and Senate candidates; distributed more than 600,000 candidate comparison information sheets; sent out 350,000 get-out-the-vote mailings; placed ads in local and national GLBT media, reaching more than 1.5 million voters; and made over 100,000 phone calls urging people to go to the polls on Election Day. And using the web as an election tool, HRC kept voters informed on a daily basis about candidates, anti-gay attacks in races and registration information as well as provided real-time election day coverage. In all, HRC's political efforts totaled more than $2.5 million.
With HRC's backing, two new ENDA supporters were elected to the Senate, replacing longtime opponents: Democrats Tom Carper of Delaware and Bill Nelson of Florida will succeed senators who voted against the legislation in 1996. Hillary Rodham Clinton became the nation's only former first lady elected to public office, defeating her Republican opponent, Rick Lazio, for New York's open Senate seat. Clinton has said she will co-sponsor ENDA and hate crimes legislation. She also supports the right of gays and lesbians to serve openly in the military as well as comprehensive benefits for gay and lesbian families. In what HRC termed the biggest disappointment of Tuesday evening, Virginia Democratic Sen. Charles Robb lost to Republican George Allen. Although from a conservative state, Robb was one of only 14 senators — and the only Southerner — to vote against the anti-gay Defense of Marriage Act in 1996. The GOP's Allen, by comparison, garnered a weak 14 percent rating from HRC during his brief tenure in the House in the early 1990s. Three anti-gay, anti-choice incumbents, all of whom earned zeroes on HRC's scorecard for the 106th Congress, were defeated in Tuesday's elections. Sen. Spencer Abraham, R-Mich., lost to Rep. Debbie Stabenow, D-Mich., who earned a 100 percent from HRC . Sen. Rod Grams, R-Minn., lost to HRC-endorsed Democrat Mark Dayton. And Missouri voters rejected Republican Sen. John Ashcroft by electing the late Democratic Gov. Mel Carnahan. Carnahan's widow, Jean, is to be named to fill the Senate seat. "HRC anticipates an increased number of supporters for both ENDA and HCPA," said Stachelberg. "New House members who have pledged their support for ENDA, such as Steve Israel, R-N.Y., Mark Kirk, R-Ill., and Rick Larsen, D-Wash., will play a key role in passing this legislation and we look forward to working with them." Despite television, radio and print ads attacking HRC-endorsed Jim Matheson, D-Utah, for his support of gay civil rights, Matheson won with an inclusive message. Openly gay Reps. Tammy Baldwin, D-Wisc., and Jim Kolbe, R-Ariz., won tight contests for re-election. In the nation's most expensive House contest, state Sen. Adam Schiff, D-Calif., unseated Republican House impeachment manager Rep. James Rogan. Six HRC staff and Youth College participants worked for candidates in California, including state Assemblywoman Susan Davis, D-Calif., Mike Honda, D-Calif., and Schiff - all of whom won.
There were also several key state ballot initiatives of concern to the gay and lesbian community. Oregonians voted on Measure 9, which would ban public schools from mentioning gay, lesbian or bisexual issues in a positive manner. That election remained too close to call. With 82 percent of the vote in, the measure appeared to be heading for defeat, 51 percent - 49 percent — a margin of fewer than 32,000 votes. In Maine, voters defeated Measure 6, which would have made it unlawful to deny a person a job, credit, housing or public accommodation on the basis of sexual orientation. Measure 6 was lumped together with five other ballot initiatives, ranging from physician-assisted suicide to forestry to taxes, all of which went down in defeat. The mood of Mainers to vote against all ballot initiatives most likely affected the outcome on Measure 6, according to HRC. It failed by only 51 percent - 49 percent. In Nevada, voters supported a constitutional amendment to ban same-sex marriage. Voters will be required to pass it again next year to officially amend their state constitution. In Nebraska, voters passed Initiative 416, one of the nation's most extensive laws against gay unions. The measure reads: "Only marriage between a man and a woman shall be valid or recognized in Nebraska. The uniting of two persons of the same sex in a civil union, domestic partnership or other similar same-sex relationship shall not be valid or recognized in Nebraska." "Our losses on the ballot measures in Nebraska and Nevada were disappointing, but not unexpected," said HRC National Field Director Seth Kilbourn. "These results mirror results in other states such as California, Hawaii and Alaska where the issue of the recognition of same-sex marriages has been put to a majority vote." |
