Victory in the News

Tammy Baldwin Eyes a Senate Seat

Wisconsin Rep. Tammy Baldwin’s potential bid for retiring Sen. Herb Kohl’s seat appears all the more plausible, given the openly gay congresswoman’s campaign coffers. Baldwin raised $502,000 in the second quarter and now has $1.1 million in cash on hand, Roll Call reports. She raised $435,000 last month alone.

“This is a remarkable showing 16 months before the next federal election, and it’s proof that Tammy Baldwin will be a formidable candidate if she decides to run,” said Robin Brand, deputy executive director of the Gay & Lesbian Victory Fund. “We’ve already received a tremendous response from our donors and supporters, and the excitement is really beginning to build for what will be a historic campaign.”

Gay Politics notes that Baldwin is unlikely to make a formal announcement on whether she will run for the senate seat until the state recall elections in Wisconsin have taken place.

Baldwin Posts $1.1 Million In Cash On Hand

Lesbian Rep. Tammy Baldwin (D-Wisc.), in reports to be filed with the FEC today, posted receipts of $502,485.62 in the second quarter and more than $1.1 million in cash on hand. During June, she raised more than $435,000.

Baldwin is widely expected to pursue the Senate seat being vacated by retiring Sen. Herb Kohl.

“This is a remarkable showing 16 months before the next federal election, and it’s proof that Tammy Baldwin will be a formidable candidate if she decides to run,” said Robin Brand, deputy executive director of the Gay & Lesbian Victory Fund. “We’ve already received a tremendous response from our donors and supporters, and the excitement is really beginning to build for what will be a historic campaign.”

Bond’s Departure Triggers Debate Over White House Role

The announced departure last week of the White House gay liaison is being met with praise from some who worked with him on LGBT issues and calls from others who say they want more from his successor.

Brian Bond, deputy director of the White House Office of Public Engagement, is set to leave his position mid-August to become the Democratic National Committee’s director of constituency outreach. Bond, who’s gay, handled LGBT outreach for the office.

Prior to becoming a White House official, Bond served as executive director of the Gay & Lesbian Victory Fund from 1997 to 2003. He was national constituency director for President Obama’s 2008 campaign and was executive director of the DNC’s LGBT leadership council. Bond returns to the DNC as President Obama ramps up his re-election campaign for 2012.

Madison360: Possible Tammy Baldwin Senate run energizes national gay community

The prospect of Tammy Baldwin running for the U.S. Senate has grabbed the attention of national gay organizations, reports Roll Call, a highly respected Capitol Hill newspaper in Washington, D.C.
Baldwin, who represents the 2nd Congressional District that includes Madison, told me recently she is highly likely to seek the seat being vacated by fellow Democrat Herb Kohl, who does not plan to run for re-election. That possibility is attracting lots of attention. “She has been part of the (consciousness) of our organization for two decades,” a spokesman for the Gay and Lesbian Victory Fund told Roll Call.

Wisconsin Rep. Could Serve Senate As First Openly Lesbian Senator

Wisconsin Rep. Tammy Baldwin is considered a strong candidate to become the first openly lesbian senator. She would replace Senator Herb Kohl, who plans on retiring from the Senate next year.

Understandably, the LBGTQ community is standing behind Baldwin. The Gay and Lesbian Victory Fund has long backed her, and is gearing up to help her win a Senate term should she choose to run. Their website even has an encouraging banner, simply saying, "Run Tammy Run!"