Compiled By GayToday
Courtesy of the Victory Fund
 Karla Drenner won her race for the State House in Georgia |
Washington, D.C. -- Openly gay and lesbian candidates endorsed by the Gay and
Lesbian Victory Fund scored several historic successes at the polls on November 7,
especially at the state legislative level--where three-quarters of Victory Fund-endorsed
candidates have prevailed thus far (some results are still pending). |
The organization found state legislative victories in Georgia, Michigan and California
particularly noteworthy; with Karla Drenner's victory in the Peach State, for example,
the Deep South is about to see its first openly gay or lesbian state lawmaker.
"Despite continuing instances of gay-baiting, this year has brought some historic
victories for openly gay and lesbian candidates for state legislatures -- and state
legislatures are increasingly key to securing equal rights for all Americans regardless of
sexual orientation," said Brian K. Bond, executive director of the Gay and Lesbian
Victory Fund, which works to elect qualified openly gay and lesbian candidates as a
means of ending discrimination.
"We've seen a doubling of our community's open representation in the California state
Legislature. We've seen the election of the first openly gay or lesbian state lawmakers in the Deep South as well as in Michigan.
“The triumphs in Michigan and Georgia are especially important because these states
are among the 39 that do not yet protect their citizens from discrimination
based on sexual orientation."
As of this writing, with results still pending in six races:
Of the 39 Victory Fund-endorsed candidates from 17 states who faced elections on
Nov.ember 7, 23 office seekers from 13 states prevailed and two will enter run-off
elections. The Victory Fund's candidates included Republicans, Democrats and
independents seeking office at the local, state and national level.
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Bond underscored the importance of state legislative victories. He pointed to a September
15 Washington Blade analysis which found that four of the five states that passed pro-equal
rights laws this year had openly gay, lesbian or bisexual state legislators who were key to
those successes. But three of the four states that passed anti-gay laws this year had no
openly gay, lesbian or bisexual state legislators to speak up for equality.
"Clearly, open representation at the state level helps to overcome discrimination and
delivers positive results for gay and straight Americans alike," said Bond. "So our state
legislative victories are vital. Also noteworthy in this election is that -- as with the
agonizingly close presidential campaign -- many of our races have been decided by
narrow margins. The year 2000 elections remind us that every vote truly does count,
and that we each have an opportunity and a responsibility to make our votes
count and our voices heard."
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Related Stories from the GayToday Archive:
39 Openly Gay, Lesbian & Bisexual Candidates in 17 States
Tammy Baldwin:
Wisconsin's Congressional Candidate Under Fire
What to Say to Barney Frank?
Related Sites:
Gay & Lesbian Victory Fund
GayToday does not endorse related sites.
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At the federal level, Victory Fund incumbent candidates did well, as U.S. Reps. Tammy
Baldwin, D-Wis., and Jim Kolbe, R-Ariz., were both re-elected. Victory Fund challengers
at the federal level, however, had a harder time.
House candidate Gerrie Schipske of
California and U.S. Senate hopeful Ed Flanagan of Vermont have both apparently fallen
short--although Schipske came within one percent of victory and has refrained from
conceding the race, pending the tallying of 7,000 as yet uncounted ballots.
Flanagan had made history in his primary by becoming the first openly gay U.S. Senate nominee
of a major political party.
Results for Gay & Lesbian Victory Fund Candidates:
(5 p.m. EST, November 8)
Federal Races
(4 races, 4 states total -- 2 wins, 1 loss, 1 pending):
| Office |
Candidate |
State |
Decision |
| U.S. Senate |
Ed Flanagan |
Vermont |
Lost |
| U.S. House |
Jim Kolbe |
Arizona |
Won |
| U.S. House |
Gerrie Schipske |
California |
Pending |
| U.S. House |
Tammy Baldwin |
Wisconsin |
Won |
State Legislative Races
(20 races, 13 states total --15 wins, 2 losses, 3 pending):
| State |
Candidate |
Office |
Decision |
| Arizona |
Steve May |
State House
|
Won |
| California |
Sheila Kuehl |
State Senate
|
Won |
| California |
Jackie Goldberg |
State Assembly
| Won |
| California |
Christine Kehoe |
State Assembly |
Won |
| Connecticut |
Patrick Flaherty |
State House |
Won |
| Connecticut |
Evelyn Mantilla |
State House |
Won |
| Georgia |
Karla Drenner |
State House |
Won |
| Illinois |
Larry McKeon |
State House |
Won |
| Maine |
Judy Powers |
State Senate |
Pending |
| Maine |
Catherine Woodard |
State Senate |
Pending |
| Massachusetts |
Cheryl Jacques |
State Senate |
Won |
| Massachusetts |
Jarrett Barrios |
State House |
Won |
| Michigan |
Chris Kolb |
State House |
Won |
| Minnesota |
Terrell Brown |
State Senate |
Lost |
| Minnesota |
Scott Dibble |
State House |
Won |
| Nevada |
David Parks |
State Assembly
|
Won |
| New Hampshire |
Rick Trombly |
State Senate |
Pending |
| New Hampshire |
Nick Panagopolous |
State House |
Won |
| New York |
Tom Hroncich |
State Assembly |
Lost |
| Rhode Island |
Mike Pisaturo |
State House
|
Won |
Local Races
(15 races, 5 states total -- 6 wins, 5 losses, 2 pending, 2 run-offs)
| State |
Candidate |
Office |
Decision |
| California |
Toni Atkins |
San Diego City Council
|
Won |
| California |
Robert Gomer |
Cathedral City, City Council
| Lost |
| California |
Stephen Herman |
San Francisco Board of Education |
Lost |
| California |
Rebecca Kaplan |
Oakland City Council |
Lost |
| California |
Mark Leno |
San Francisco Board of Supervisors |
Runoff |
| California |
Patrick McGuire |
Santa Monica College Board of Trustees |
Pending |
| California |
Gary Miller |
Robla School Board, Sacramento |
Won |
| California |
Juanita Owens |
San Francisco Board of Supervisors |
Runoff |
| California |
Greg Pettis |
Cathedral City, City Council
|
Won |
| California |
Frank Tierney |
Coronado City Council
|
Lost |
| California |
Ken Yeager |
San Jose City Council
|
Won |
| Illinois |
Tom Chiola |
Cook County Circuit Judge |
Won |
| Nevada |
Elizabeth Wachsman |
Clark County District Court Judge |
Lost |
| North Carolina |
Julia Boseman |
New Hanover County Commission |
Pending |
| Texas |
Margo Frasier |
Travis County Sheriff
|
Won |
[Note: This list provides a snapshot of races involving all Victory Fund-endorsed
candidates with November 7 elections. It is by no means a complete list of all of this
year's openly gay and lesbian candidates. There are many such candidates who
either did not seek or did not receive the Victory Fund's endorsement.]
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