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The National Gay and Lesbian Task Force Elections Report is a summary of some of the races especially important to the gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender community. These include the congressional races of non-incumbent, out gay and lesbian candidates Tammy Baldwin, Paul Barby, Grethe Cammermeyer, and Christine Kehoe; key House and Senate races; and gay-related ballot initiatives in Alaska, Hawaii, Fort Collins, Colorado, Fayetteville, Arkansas, and South Portland and Ogunquit, Maine.

Latest reports show that lesbian Christine Kehoe is narrowly trailing Rep. Brian Bilbray (49% - 47%) in the race for the 49th Congressional District in California. Anti-marriage ballot initiatives passed in Hawaii and Alaska. The measure in Alaska passed by a margin of 68% - 32%, and in Hawaii the margin was 69% - 28%. Also, voters in Ogunquit, Maine may have narrowly defeated a municipal anti-discrimination ballot initiative. With a close final tabulation of 374 yes votes to 383 no votes, city officials will be recounting the ballots today.

Gay and Lesbian Congressional Candidates (Non-Incumbent)

Tammy Baldwin (D) vs. Josephine Musser (R)
Wisconsin 2nd Congressional District Baldwin wins (53% to 47%) Baldwin is a three-term state legislator.

Paul Barby (D) vs. Rep. Frank Lucas (R)
Oklahoma 6th Congressional District Barby defeated (34% to 65%) Barby ran unsuccessfully for this seat in 1996, though he garnered nearly 40 percent of the vote and carried Oklahoma County.

Christine Kehoe (D) vs. Rep. Brian Bilbray (R)
California 49th Congressional District
Kehoe defeated (47% to 49%) Kehoe was the first out elected official in San Diego. She has served on the San Diego City Council since 1993.

Grethe Cammermeyer (D) vs. Rep. Jack Metcalf (R)
Washington 2nd Congressional District
Cammermeyer defeated (45% to 55%) Cammermeyer is a retired army colonel who successfully challenged her dismal from the military after having truthfully answered a questions pertaining to her sexual orientation.

Gay Congressional Candidates (Incumbent)

Rep. Barney Frank (D) vs. N/A
Massachusetts' 4th Congressional District Frank is an openly gay, progressive incumbent. He is a consistent voice and vote on issues of concern to the GLBT community. Frank ran unopposed.

Rep. Jim Kolbe (R) vs. Thomas John Volgy (D)
Arizona 5th Congressional District Kolbe wins (52% to 46%) Kolbe is an Employment Non-Discrimination Act co-sponsor. He also fought the Hefley Amendment, which would have overturned the Executive Order protecting federal employees from discrimination based on sexual orientation.

Marriage Ballot Initiatives

Hawaii

Initiative Passed (69% for, 28% against)

The Hawaii ballot initiative likely will lead to a ban on same-sex marriage. The vote amended the stateís constitution to empower the legislature to reserve marriage to opposite sex couples. (A second initiative to call for a constitutional convention - where a an anti-gay marriage amendment could have been added to the constitution failed 59% - 34%). In a 1996 ruling, a Hawaii court ruled that there is no valid reason for denying same-sex couples the freedom to marry. The government appealed that decision to the Hawaii Supreme Court, and a final decision is expected any time. This vote will essentially nullify the expected positive court decision.

Alaska

Initiative Passed (68% for, 32% against)

In Alaska, voters elected to amend the state Constitution to limit the definition of marriage as only between one man and one woman. The initiative was in reaction to a ruling by the stateís Superior Court (Brause v. Alaska) this past February in Alaska determining that the denial of same-sex marriage violates privacy and equal protection under the state's constitution.

Friday, November 6 - National Day of Action for the Freedom to Marry

Get more information at: National Day of Action - FREEDOM TO MARRY

Ballot Initiatives (non-marriage)

South Portland, Maine: Anti-discrimination ordinance passed (54% to 46%) Ogunquit, Maine: Anti-discrimination ordinance failed (50.6% to 49.4%; or 383 to 374, a difference of 9 votes.) Fayetteville, Arkansas: Anti-discrimination ordinance failed (60% to 40%) Fort Collins, Colorado: Anti-discrimination ordinance failed (62% to 38% - not all precincts reporting)

South Portland, Maine - passed

This ordinance prohibits acts of discrimination in employment, housing, public accommodations, or the extension of credit. In February, Mainers voted 51 percent to 49 percent to repeal a state law (passed in 1997) banning anti-gay discrimination. In South Portland, 60 percent of the voters favored keeping the state law. This year the South Portland City Council decided to put the issue directly to the voters rather than having the council vote on the ordinance.

Ogunquit, Maine - failed, recount today

Referendum question 4 amends the Ogunquit Municipal Code to ban discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation in the areas of employment, housing, public accommodations, and the extension of credit. In response to the repeal of Maineís statewide civil rights law banning discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation, activists with Concerned Citizens of Ogunquit gathered enough signatures to have a human rights ordinance modeled after the statewide non-discrimination bill placed on the November 3rd ballot.

Fayetteville, Arkansas - failed

The Fayetteville Human Dignity Resolution, would have added the categories of sexual orientation and familial status to the City of Fayettevilleís non-discrimination policy for public employees. Last spring, the city council passed this non-discrimination resolution. The mayor vetoed it, and in a rare move the council overrode the mayorís veto, effectively enacting the resolution as law. A local group affiliated with the Christian Coalition gathered enough petition signatures to put the measure up for a vote.

Fort Collins, Colorado - failed

Ordinance 22 would have added sexual orientation to the cityís non-discrimination law covering employment, housing, and public accommodations. The city council and mayor enacted the ordinance into law last spring. Shortly thereafter right-wing opposition groups gathered enough signatures to have the measure referred to the ballot in the hopes of defeating them in November.

CLOSELY WATCHED SENATE RACES

Senator Al D'Amato (R) vs. Charles Schumer (D)

Schumer wins (55% to 45%)

Chuck Schumer will become the new junior senator from New York. He defeated Senator Alfonse DíAmato (R-NY) in one of the most contentious campaigns in the country. While DíAmato recently made overtures to the GLBT community, his staunch anti-choice votes angered many in the GLBT, feminist, and other progressive communities.

Senator Barbara Boxer (D) vs. Matt Fong (R)

Boxer wins (53% to 44%)

Boxer is a staunch advocate of gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender civil rights and reproductive choice. Fong stated that he believes marriage should be between a man and a woman. He has also stated that he does "not support the [gay] lifestyle" and that that he does not support "homosexual behavior." Fong believes "Roe v. Wade was wrongly decided," and he opposes public funding and late-term abortions, and supports a parental consent requirement.

Rep. Loretta Sanchez (D) vs. Robert Dornan (R)
California 46th Congressional District

Sanchez wins (57% to 39%)

For the second time in a row, Representative Sanchez defeated former Congressman Dornan. Dornan spearheaded many anti-gay bills and amendments while in Congress.

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The mission of the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force is to build the political power of the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) community from the ground up. We do this by training activists, organizing broad-based campaigns to defeat anti-LGBT referenda and advance pro-LGBT legislation, and by building the organizational capacity of our movement. Our Policy Institute, the movement’s premier think tank, provides research and policy analysis to support the struggle for complete equality and to counter right-wing lies. As part of a broader social justice movement, we work to create a nation that respects the diversity of human expression and identity and creates opportunity for all. Headquartered in Washington, D.C., we also have offices in New York City, Los Angeles, Miami, Minneapolis and Cambridge.