Tag: governor

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North Carolina’s Anti-LGBT Gov. McCrory, Trailing By 9,000+ Votes, Refuses To Concede

Gov. Pat McCrory (L) and Attorney General Roy Cooper (R)

North Carolina Gov. Pat McCrory, who infamously signed the anti-LGBT legislation known as HB 2 into law, refuses to concede to his Democratic opponent, current state Attorney General Roy Cooper even though Cooper leads by over 9,000 votes.

From The Advocate:

McCrory, infamous for signing the state’s anti-LGBT House Bill 2 into law, said Saturday that he would withdraw his demand for a statewide recount in exchange for a hand recount of votes in Durham County, which is heavily Democratic, The Charlotte Observer reports. The State Board of Elections met Sunday but took no action on that request, with members saying they had not received it in writing.

Cooper, whose lead has grown since Election Night, released a video Sunday declaring victory in the election, and Monday his attorney, Marc Elias, made that same point in a teleconference with reporters, the Charlotte Business Journal reports. “The math is simply clear. … Governor-elect Roy Cooper has won this race,” Elias said.

Cooper, currently the state’s attorney general, was a major opponent of HB 2, passed in March. He refused to defend it in court and called it a “national embarrassment.”

The law, among other things, prevents municipalities from enacting or enforcing LGBT-inclusive antidiscrimination ordinances, and it bars transgender people, when in government buildings, from using restrooms, locker rooms, and other single-sex facilities that match their gender identity.

HB 2 has cost the state millions is lost business as dozens of conventions, concerts and other events have cancelled over the hateful legislation.

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Louisiana: Democrat John Bel Edwards Wins Governorship Over Sen. “Diaper Dave” Vitter

A little known conservative Democrat has surprised many by winning the governor’s race in deep red Louisiana.

With 56% of the vote, State Representative John Bel Edwards bested U.S. Senator David Vitter in a runoff election on Saturday to become the next governor of Louisiana.

From the New York Times:

A more promising red state Democrat could hardly have been found than Mr. Edwards, a Catholic social conservative from a family of rural law enforcement officers who graduated from West Point and served eight years of active duty in the Army.

Mr. Vitter, for his part, was a problematic candidate for Republicans, even though he had been widely seen as the favorite for months. A prostitution scandal from 2007, the baggage of an unpopular Republican incumbent, Gov. Bobby Jindal, and a series of state political foes with long memories dragged Mr. Vitter down before an Oct. 24 primary. He never recovered.

Vitter told supporters last night that he will not be running for reelection for his Senate seat in 2016.

Check out one of the campaign ads that Edwards ran against “Diaper Dave.”

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Oregon: Kate Brown Becomes Nation’s First Openly LGBT Governor

Oregon Secretary of State Kate Brown was sworn in as governor on Wednesday, making her the nation’s first openly bisexual governor.

Brown, who had been Oregon’s secretary of state, succeeds John Kitzhaber who resigned on Feb. 13 amid a growing influence-peddling scandal that involves him and his fiancée.

(via Washington Blade)

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Oregon Governor Resigns, Openly LGBT Secretary Of State To Assume Governorship

Oregon Secretary of State Kate Brown to assume governorship

Bloomberg reports:

Oregon Governor John Kitzhaber’s almost four-decade political career fell apart Friday, as he heeded calls from fellow Democrats to resign after a scandal involving his fiancee’s use of his office to generate business for her energy-consulting firm.

Kitzhaber, a 67-year-old re-elected to a fourth term in November, announced his departure in a news release.

Secretary of State Kate Brown, also a Democrat, will assume the office until 2016.

Married to a man, but openly bisexual, this would make Borwn the first-ever openly LGBT governor.

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Former Governor of New York, Mario Cuomo, Passes Away at 82

The former governor of New York, Mario Cuomo, passed away Thursday, January 1st at the age of 82.

Cuomo, father of current New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo (who was sworn into office for his second term today), served three terms in office, 1983 to 1994.

I lived in New York state all of those years, and I remember his handling of the state’s affairs as very solid.

He is especially remembered for his outstanding speech at the 1984 Democratic Convention.

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Did Maine Just Move Closer To The First Openly Gay US Governor?

This election cycle, Maine has been entrenched in a three way race for governor. The incumbent Republican Gov. Paul LePage and Democratic U.S. Rep. Mike Michaud have been locked in a very tight race, with Independent candidate Eliot Cutler polling at about 13 points.

Today, Cutler held a press conference where he stopped short of quitting the race but did make clear to voters that should they not think he can win on election day to “vote their conscience.”

In other words, go with the guy who can win.

In that Cutler is a left-leaning candidate (former environmental lawyer and worked under the Carter Administration), most believe his support would go to Michaud. Should Michaud win, he would become the United States’ first openly gay governor.

While the November 4 elections look bleak in many ways for Democrats, it could be history making for the LGBT community.

Fingers crossed.

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Texas: Democratic gubernatorial candidate Wendy Davis supports marriage equality

Speaking to the San Antonio Express-News Editorial Board today, Texas Democratic gubernatorial candidate Wendy Davis says she supports marriage equality:

“It’s my strong belief that when people love each other and are desirous of creating a committed relationship with each other that they should be allowed to marry, regardless of their sexual orientation,” Davis told the Express-News editorial board.

Davis added that she’s pleased the state’s constitutional ban is currently under challenge in federal courts.

If elected, she says she would hope to open up a discussion with the state legislature about repealing the current ban.

“I think it’s important, and I think that people across this country are evolving on that issue and moving in a direction that demonstrates support for it, so I think it is time to re-open that conversation and ask Texans where they are on it to see if that’s something that we might change legislatively if it doesn’t happen constitutionally,” she said.

(source)