Victory in the News

A conversation with Houston Mayor Annise Parker

With 2.2 million constituents, Parker said she couldn’t be just the gay mayor, but she would continue to use her position to advance LGBT rights when possible. She helps raise money and speaks for the Gay and Lesbian Victory Fund around the country and said their training was extremely helpful.

Gay Houston Mayor Gets High Marks

A new poll indicates that a solid majority of Houston residents say that Mayor Annise Parker is doing a “good” or “excellent” job.

The Gay and Lesbian Victory Fund reported on the poll from 11 News/KUHF-Houston Public Radio.

“Fourteen percent of poll respondents rated Parker’s job performance as ‘excellent,’” reported the Victory Fund’s blog, GayPolitics.com. “Forty-two percent said she was doing a ‘good’ job. Twenty-seven percent described her performance as ‘fair,’ and just six percent said she was doing a ‘poor’ job.”

Parker was elected last December and made Houston the largest U.S. city to date to elect an openly gay mayor.

SLIDESHOW: Victory Fund Brunch NYC

Today I attended the first annual Victory Fund brunch in NYC, where headliner Rep. Barney Frank talked at length about the difficulties we face in the repeal of DADT and even getting ENDA to a vote. Comedian Alec Mapa hosted, NYC Council Speaker Christine Quinn spoke, anti-Quinn activists protested outside, and a literal who's who of political homorati mingled over mimosas.

Mary Washington to Become 2nd Blk Openly Lesbian State Lawmaker

Brava and congratulations to Mary Washington, who was one of 33 openly LGBT candidates in the nation endorsed by the Victory Fund during this cycle. Washington follows in the footsteps of Georgia's Simone Bell, who in December 2009 became the first openly lesbian black state legislator in U.S. history. Connecticut's Jason Bartlett and Rhode Island House Speaker Gordon Fox are the nation's only openly Black male state legislators.

Primary results: 29 of 33 openly gay candidates advance, Victory Fund says

Tuesday’s primaries brought mostly good news to openly gay candidates supported by the Victory Fund, as 29 of 33 pols either advanced in primaries or won their elections outright.

Chuck Wolfe, president and CEO of the Victory Fund, was in Providence, R.I., Tuesday night as Providence Mayor David Cicilline was declared the winner of the Democratic primary to represent Rhode Island’s 1st Congressional District. Rhode Island is a very blue state, and so is the district, thus Cicilline immediately becomes the favorite to win in November.

“I’m very grateful that the Victory Fund and their supporters believe in this campaign, and I thank you for your hard work on our behalf. Together we really can change politics in Rhode Island and across the country, and make sure that all Americans have a voice in their government. I hope you’ll continue to stand with us as we work hard for a big victory this November,” Cicilline said in a statement.

If elected, Cicilline would become the fourth openly LGBT member of Congress.

Gay Pols Nearly Sweep Primaries

Twenty-nine of the Gay and Lesbian Victory Fund's 33 endorsed candidates in primary contests Tuesday won their party's nomination or the election outright.

The Maryland legislature will have at least seven openly gay and lesbian members if three newcomers who won primaries Tuesday join four incumbent members. House of delegates candidates Luke Clippinger, Bonnie Cullison, and Mary Washington hope to join incumbents Annie Kaiser, Maggie McIntosh, and Heather Mizeur along with state senator Richard Madaleno. Washington would be only the second out lesbian African-American state legislator in the United States if elected.

Denis Dison, a spokesman for the Victory Fund, said the wins in Maryland will be key for a possible push in the Maryland legislature to pass a marriage equality bill, which Gov. Martin O'Malley said he would sign into law if he were to be reelected.

"It's going to be a powerful thing for people to talk openly about what this legislation means to them," he told The Advocate.  

One of the more notable wins on primary night was that of Providence, R.I., mayor David Cicilline, who is running to represent the state's first congressional district. If elected in November, he would become the fourth out member of the U.S. House of Representatives, joining Barney Frank, Tammy Baldwin, and Jared Polis.

“I’m very grateful that the Victory Fund and their supporters believe in this campaign, and I thank you for your hard work on our behalf," he said in a statement. "Together we really can change politics in Rhode Island and across the country and make sure that all Americans have a voice in their government. I hope you’ll continue to stand with us as we work hard for a big victory this November.”

Dison said the results from last night overall were "remarkable," but the premier race for his organization was Cicilline's primary, which he won in a heavily Democratic district.

"He does have a Republican opponent, so we're not out of the woods, but the fact that he is the top vote=getter in a race with four Democratic candidates is a good sign."

In New York, Monroe County legislature minority leader Harry Bronson won the primary for his state assembly district. Bronson would be the only out gay New York state legislator from the upstate region, since the five currently in the senate or assembly are from the New York City area.

Bronson is running to replace longtime assemblywoman Susan John. Bronson said he planned to continue John's focus on labor and jobs, according to the Rochester Democrat and Chronicle. John is retiring after a 20-year career in the legislature.

Looking toward the November vote, Dison said there are more than 100 Victory Fund–backed candidates up for election.

LGBT Rhode Islanders largely applaud Cicilline’s victory

Cicilline has received the backing of the Gay and Lesbian Victory Fund and the Human Rights Campaign. In addition, two openly gay state politicians endorsed Cicilline: House Majority Leader Gordon Fox (D-Providence) and state Rep. Frank Ferri (D-Warwick).

Beyer falls short in bid for legislature

Elsewhere in Maryland, seven openly gay and lesbian candidates won their races. Incumbent Dels. Heather Mizeur (D-Dist. 20), Maggie McIntosh  (D-Dist. 43) and Anne Kaiser (D-Dist. 14) advanced to the general election, along with newcomers Mary Washington (D-Dist. 43), Luke Clippinger (D-Dist. 46) and Bonnie Cullison (D-Dist. 19). Gay Sen. Rich Madaleno (D-Dist. 18) also won his race. With those victories, Maryland is poised to join just a handful of states served by seven openly gay and lesbian state legislators, according to a statement from the Gay & Lesbian Victory Fund.

Cicilline Wins in RI, Stachowski Loses in NY, O'Donnell Wins in DE

"The 49-year-old Providence mayor cruised to a comfortable victory Tuesday, winning more than a third of the vote in a hard-fought four-way race, according to unofficial election results."

Said Victory Fund CEO and President Chuck Wolfe of Cicilline's win: "Adding more authentic LGBT voices to Congress is a Victory Fund priority, and Mayor Cicilline’s win tonight puts us one giant step closer to doing just that.  When he wins this November, he will join Tammy Baldwin, Barney Frank and Jared Polis as the only openly gay and lesbian members of Congress—our greatest champions for real change and real progress toward full equality.  We’re proud to have supported Mayor Cicilline throughout his political career, and thrilled about this historic victory."

Dems Give Nod To Openly Gay David Cicilline For Congress

The 48-year-old Cicilline, who has served two terms as mayor of Providence, enjoys the endorsement of the Gay & Lesbian Victory Fund, a group that supports openly gay elected officials, and the Human Rights Campaign (HRC), the nation's largest gay rights advocate.

ldquo;Adding more authentic LGBT voices to Congress is a Victory Fund priority, and Mayor Cicilline's win tonight puts us one giant step closer to doing just that,” Chuck Wolfe, president and CEO of the Victory Fund, said in a statement.

HRC President Joe Solmonese cheered Cicilline's win.

“We are thrilled that David Cicilline has advanced to the general election,” he said in a statement. “He has proven himself as a state senator and strong mayor and will no doubt be an active and effective congressman in promoting equality for all people.”

Denis Dison, a Victory Fund vice president, told On Top Magazine that the increasing numbers of openly gay elected officials is slowly changing the political landscape.

“Every year more and more brave people are stepping up to run for office while being honest about who they are,” Dison said. “That's going to change politics in America.”

Gay candidates for Congress draw interest, hope

"There are so few people on the Hill who can speak authentically about what these things mean in their own lives," said Denis Dison, spokesman for the Gay and Lesbian Victory Fund, a group that works to elect gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender politicians. "We are vastly underrepresented."

Sexual orientation and gay marriage are not the flashpoints in this midterm election that they have been in the past. There are no statewide ballot measures on gay marriage this November, and polls have shown a growing acceptance of same-sex unions. Five states now allow gay marriage, including Rhode Island's neighbors Massachusetts and Connecticut.

That has bolstered the hopes of advocates, who would like to see the number of openly gay members of Congress increase.

The Victory Fund and the Human Rights Campaign, the nation's largest gay rights group, has poured money into both races. The California seat has also been targeted by the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee's "Red to Blue" program as one of the seats it sees as having the best chances of moving from Republican to Democrat, although analysts say it could still be tough in what's expected to be a Republican year.

A fourth openly gay member of Congress?

Among the national LGBT groups that have endorsed Cicilline are the Gay & Lesbian Victory Fund and Human Rights Campaign.

Robin Brand, deputy executive director of the Victory Fund, said Cicilline is “doing very well” as he approaches his primary.

“He’s working very hard; he’s raised a very competitive amount of money,” she said. “We are feeling that he’s in a very strong position going into Sept. 14.”

Cicilline’s main opponent in the primary is William Lynch, former head of the Rhode Island State Democratic Party. Other candidates in the running are Anthony Gemma, a businessman, and David Segal, a Rhode Island State House member.

Brand said primary results are sometimes hard to predict because turnout is often unpredictable, so Cicilline’s chances next week will depend on the ground game of getting out supporters.

“You’re also trying to message to a relatively small number of voters,” she said. “A lot of times, primary campaigns are really driven by endorsements and by personal connections to the community.”

But Cicilline has a number of factors in his favor as he enters the Democratic primary. A poll published last month by Brown University found the Providence mayor leading in the pack of Democratic candidates.

According to the poll, 32 percent said they would vote for Cicilline while 15 percent would support Lynch, 11 percent would support Gemma and 5 percent would support Segal.

Still, a number of votes could be up for grabs. In the poll, 35 percent of respondents identified as undecided.

Cicilline has also been a powerhouse fundraiser whose war chest dwarfs other Democratic opponents in the race.

According to the most recent Federal Election Commission reports, Cicilline has raised $1.16 million for his campaign and has more than $900,000 in cash on hand.

Comparatively, Lynch has raised $286,000, Gemma has raised $240,000 and Segal has raised $144,000.

Brand said both the poll and the fundraising numbers “absolutely” bode well for Cicilline as the primary approaches.

“You’d rather be ahead than behind, especially if we’re talking significant spread margins, which have been demonstrated not only in the fundraising, but also in the polling,” she said.

But Brand said the Cicilline campaign is “taking nothing for granted” despite these numbers and has “been building a strong field organization for months” in anticipation of the primary.

Still, Cicilline’s opponents are hammering on the problems facing Providence during his stewardship of the city as mayor, such as underperforming schools and high unemployment.

In a radio debate on Aug. 18, Gemma said Providence was in “shambles” and said Cicilline is not fit to serve in Congress, while Lynch said city schools are a “disaster,” according to the Associated Press.

Cicilline didn’t attend Wednesday’s debate reportedly because it was held during the “Buddy Cianci Show.” The show’s host, Cicilline’s predecessor as mayor, served time in federal prison for corruption.

In response to these criticisms, Brand said the situation in Rhode Island isn’t different from many other places that are facing economic problems.

“The frustration that voters are feeling about the state of the economy is happening across the country,” she said. “I think what voters are looking for is strong leaders, and David Cicilline is a strong leader.”

Brand said the Victory Fund hasn’t seen Cicilline’s Democratic challengers employ anti-gay campaign tactics in an attempt to derail the candidate in the primary.

Gay Navajo man poised to join Ariz. Senate

"In most places, minorities are underrepresented in government," said Denis Dison, vice president external affairs at Victory Fund. "That’s especially true for LGBT people. Only about 500 or more than 500,000 elected officials in the U.S. are openly LGBT."

The Victory Fund endorsed Jackson’s campaign. And Dison said: "Jack easily met all our endorsement criteria."

"LGBT people who are also racial or ethnic minorities tell a more accurate story about our community," he added. "It’s part of our strength that we identify as a community, but I think we’re even stronger when we realize we’re also a subset of every other community, including the Navajo Nation."

For his part, Jackson he said he will work to bring equality to all Arizonans.

Mehlman news fuels divisive reaction

Meanwhile the Victory Fund, a gay and lesbian political group, issued a more tepid response, saying, "We hope the fact that Ken Mehlman has reached this level of honesty will now encourage other political leaders to reject divisive anti-gay campaign tactics which, as Mr. Mehlman now admits, are purely cynical attempts to manipulate the American public."

Mehlman coming out draws mixed reactions

Chuck Wolfe, CEO of the Gay & Lesbian Victory Fund, said he was hoping to win Mehlman’s support on LGBT issues in the future.

“Coming out is a personal decision, and it can have a profound impact on families, friends, colleagues and constituents,” Wolfe said. “We hope the fact that Ken Mehlman has reached this level of honesty will now encourage other political leaders to reject divisive anti-gay campaign tactics which, as Mr. Mehlman now admits, are purely cynical attempts to manipulate the American public.”

Political Notebook: State lawmakers endorse Oakland judicial candidate

Equality California PAC, the political arm of the statewide LGBT group, and the Gay and Lesbian Victory Fund are co-hosting this weekend's fundraiser for Kolakowski. The event costs $100 and will take place from 5 to 7 p.m. at the home of EQCA Executive Director Geoff Kors and his partner James Williamson, co-chair of the San Francisco LGBT Community Center's board.

Right and Left Alike Pile on Out Former RNC Chair Ken Mehlman

"We hope the fact that Ken Mehlman has reached this level of honesty will now encourage other political leaders to reject divisive anti-gay campaign tactics which, as Mr. Mehlman now admits, are purely cynical attempts to manipulate the American public," said Chuck Wolfe, the head of the Gay and Lesbian Victory Fund, a political organization that supports GLBT candidates in races around the nation.

Ken Mehlman: I'm 'At Peace' With Myself, There's 'Absolutely' Room For Gays In The GOP

Many high-profile LGBT activists have already embraced Mehlman since his announcement earlier Wednesday. "We hope the fact that Ken Mehlman has reached this level of honesty will now encourage other political leaders to reject divisive anti-gay campaign tactics which, as Mr. Mehlman now admits, are purely cynical attempts to manipulate the American public," Gay and Lesbian Victory Fund President and CEO Chuck Wolfe said in a public statement. Openly gay Democratic strategist Steve Elmendorf told the Huffington Post that it was "great for the community to get new converts" because "until we get 51 percent of the American public supporting us on these issues, it's really important that we welcome people who want to come help us."

Mixed Primary Night for Gay Pols

Jack Jackson Jr., a former Arizona state representative who once ran for the U.S. House of Representatives, essentially won election to the state senate Tuesday night, as he won the Democratic nomination and has no opponent in the general election. According to Denis Dison at the Gay and Lesbian Victory Fund, with Jackson, there will be at least five openly LGBT people in the Arizona state legislature when the new session convenes. Jackson, a member of the Navajo Nation, spent the evening celebrating with his colleague Tom Chabin, who won his state house race Tuesday.

Richard Sorian Latest Openly Gay Obama Appointee

In June, the White House announced that Obama has appointed more openly gay staffers than the administrations of George W. Bush and Bill Clinton combined.

ThePresidential Appointments Project, a community driven effort coordinated by the Gay & Lesbian Victory Fund, was responsible for bringing many of the appointments, including Sorian, to the attention of administration officials.