Tag Archives: gay politicians

Via press release: Assemblymember Danny O’Donnell, the first openly gay man elected to the New York State legislature who successfully led the fight for and passage of Marriage Equality in New York, was endorsed today in his race for New York City Public Advocate by the LGBTQ Victory Fund. Victory Fund is the nation’s largest organization dedicated to changing the …

The Los Angeles Times reports: California Democratic Party Chairman Eric Bauman, leader of one of the most influential political forces in the nation, said Thursday he intended to resign after allegations of sexual misconduct and inappropriate behavior toward party staff members and activists. Bauman’s decision to resign follows a report from The Times on Wednesday that said 10 party staff …

The Indianapolis Journal reports: Democrat J.D. Ford pulled off a big upset Tuesday, unseating state Sen. Mike Delph, a Republican who has served the district since 2005. Ford is thought to be Indiana’s first openly gay state lawmaker. “Ladies and gentleman, we just made history and no one can take that from us,” Ford said. It was a rematch for …

The Kansas City Star reports: Kansas voters made history Tuesday when they selected Sharice Davids to be their next congresswoman. Davids, a member of the Ho-Chunk Nation, will be the first Native American woman to serve in Congress — a distinction she shared with New Mexico’s Deb Haaland, who also won Tuesday — and the first openly LGBT person to …

New Hampshire’s WBUR reports: Democrat Chris Pappas will become New Hampshire’s first openly gay member of Congress after defeating Republican Eddie Edwards in the 1st Congressional District. While both candidates said they want to bring integrity and decency to Washington, Pappas argued only he had the experience to back that up. In addition to running a family restaurant, he is …

Chris Johnson reports at the Washington Blade: A lesbian candidate running for a U.S. House seat in Minnesota has unseated an anti-LGBT lawmaker from the U.S. House, making her poised to become the first openly gay mother in Congress. At a around 8:15 local time, major media outlets declared Angie Craig, a business executive who’s also mother, the winner in …

Vox reports: Jared Polis has won the Colorado governor’s race, becoming the first openly gay person to be elected governor in America. Polis, a Democrat who has served in the House of Representatives since 2009, did not attempt to hide his sexual orientation on the campaign trail, and sometimes used it to emphasize the contrast between himself and President Donald …

CBS News reports: Texas Republican Governor Greg Abbott, the 48th Governor of the state, has been re-elected for a second term on Tuesday night. He defeated Democrat and former Dallas County Sheriff Lupe Valdez, 71. Valdez, 71, was a barrier-breaking candidate who could have become Texas’ first openly gay, Hispanic governor. Her base of Texas liberals largely overlooked her run …

The Sacramento Bee reports: The author of a California bill to declare gay conversion therapy a fraudulent business practice has abandoned his effort for this year after a fierce outcry from the state’s religious community. Assembly Bill 2943 would have made it illegal to sell any service intended to change an individual’s sexuality or gender identity. The measure had already …

The San Francisco Chronicle reports: Gov. Jerry Brown will decide whether San Francisco, Oakland and five other California cities should be allowed to keep their bars open until 4 a.m. Under a bill the state Legislature approved Thursday, the cities could participate in a five-year pilot program that extends the time alcohol can be served at bars, nightclubs and restaurants …

CBS Denver reports: Jared Polis claimed the Democratic nomination for governor in Colorado with a clear victory Tuesday after he spent $11 million of his own fortune to vanquish three rivals. The five-term Boulder congressman would become the nation’s first openly gay man elected governor if he wins in November, and his candidacy represents a sharp leftward shift that will …

The San Francisco Chronicle reports: Former state Sen. Mark Leno conceded defeat in the San Francisco mayor’s race Wednesday to Supervisor London Breed. “I called Supervisor London Breed this morning to congratulate her and to wish her every success both personally and professionally in her new job as mayor of San Francisco,” Leno said in a news conference at a …

The New York Daily News reports: Upstate Rep. Sean Patrick Maloney on Wednesday will formally announce he’s running for state attorney general at the same time he’s seeking re-election to Congress. Maloney said he will try to petition his way onto the Sept. 13 Democratic primary ballot for attorney general. He said if he wins the nomination, he will immediately …

San Francisco’s Fox affiliate reports: The race to see who will become San Francisco’s next mayor is still up in the air as of this morning with former state Sen. Mark Leno holding a narrow lead over Board of Supervisors president London Breed. Initial results from Tuesday’s election indicated a large margin in first-place votes for Breed. However, once San …

The Birmingham Herald reports: State Rep. Patricia Todd has had her employment offer from a Florida LGBTQ nonprofit rescinded for strongly suggesting that Gov. Kay Ivey is gay and deserves to be outed, the organization announced Thursday. Todd, Alabama’s first openly gay state lawmaker, was set to become executive director of the One Orlando Alliance — a group formed in …

“This most recent personal attack against me is beyond disgraceful. It’s a disgusting lie being pushed by a paid left wing liberal political operative. There is absolutely no truth to it. It’s false. It’s wrong. It’s a bald faced lie. And I’m not gonna let them get away with it. Whether these attacks are malicious or ignorant or both – …

The Birmingham Herald reports: Patricia Todd, Alabama’s only openly gay state legislator, posted comments on social media Tuesday night suggesting that Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey is gay. Todd, who is not seeking re-election to office this year, posted the comments on Facebook and Twitter. The Ivey campaign denied the accusation. “This is a disgusting lie being pushed by a paid …

The Huffington Post reports: A Democratic congressional candidate is out with a new TV ad using far more explicit language than the usual political spot. “Fuck the NRA,” Pat Davis says in the 15-second ad. “Their pro-gun policies have resulted in dead children, dead mothers and dead fathers.” Davis is an Albuquerque city council member running for the Democratic nomination …

Gay Star News reports: Poland’s first openly gay mayor, might just become the country’s first ever openly gay president. Robert Biedroń is throwing his hat in the presidential campaign ahead of a national vote in 2020. Even though the election is a few years away, recent polls show one in every four Poles is willing to vote for Biedroń. This …

The Associated Press reports: San Diego Sen. Toni Atkins will make history Wednesday when she becomes the first woman and first lesbian to hold the California Senate’s top job. A former Assembly speaker, Atkins is taking over the post of Senate president pro tem from fellow Democrat Kevin de Leon as the chamber gears up for election season and faces …