Gay Candidates Win New Seats

WASHINGTON (U.S. Newswire) -- The Gay & Lesbian Victory Fund reports that of its 55 endorsements of gay and lesbian candidates in 2005, 35 won their races or performed well enough to proceed to a runoff. The Victory Fund, which works to elect qualified lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender candidates, noted that some of these wins were considered groundbreaking and that the 2005 election year was not free from gay-baiting and outright attacks on candidates' sexual orientations.

In Ohio, a state that went for George Bush last year, four endorsed gay candidates won races. Three of the wins were for new seats, including Joe Santiago for Cleveland City Council, Nickie Antonio for an At-Large Lakewood City Council seat and Joe Lacey for a new seat on the Dayton School Board. Mary Jo Hudson won a seat she was appointed to last year on the Columbus City Council.

In Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, Dan Miller garnered 22% of the vote, enough to secure a new seat on the Harrisburg City Council. This marks the first time an openly gay candidate was elected in that city.

In Texas, where a statewide vote Tuesday to ban legal recognition of same-sex relationships passed overwhelmingly, 33% of Houston voters supported Sue Lovell for an At-Large City Council seat, enough to propel Lovell to a December 6th runoff. Houston is the fourth largest city in the country.

"These candidates bring the skill, talent and passion that the LGBT community has to contribute to our political system and to society as a whole," said Chuck Wolfe, president and CEO of the Gay & Lesbian Victory Fund. "Winning races at the local level and striving for change within the political process is the surest way to achieve true equality for gay and lesbian Americans," Wolfe added.

Anti-gay attacks against Norfolk, Virginia City Treasurer candidate Vivian Paige appear to have contributed to her loss. Last month, fraudulent flyers placed on cars outside an NAACP candidate forum proclaimed that Vivian Paige, a highly qualified candidate and Certified Public Accountant, is a proud lesbian and "doesn't care what people think!" A group called Christian Leaders of Tomorrow went on TV with an ad last week targeting Paige's sexual orientation.

Full election results are available at www.victoryfund.org/election

The Gay & Lesbian Victory Fund provides strategic, technical and financial support to openly LGBT candidates and officials. It's the sole national organization committed to increasing the number of openly LGBT public officials at federal, state and local levels of government. Victory is the nation's largest LGBT political action committee and one of the nation's largest non-connected PACs. In 14 years, Victory has helped the number of openly LGBT officials grow from 49 to over 300.