In this week’s episode of The Randy Report podcast, I recap the LGBTQ midterm election highlights, plus… Continue reading “Podcast: LGBTQ Midterm Election Highlights, Kit Connor + More News”
Recapping ‘American Horror Story: NYC’ + More News
Russell Tovey in AHS: NYC (photo: Pari Dukovic/FX)
Podcast: Remembering Leslie Jordan, News From Brazil + More
In this week’s episode of The Randy Report podcast, remembering Emmy Award winning out actor Leslie Jordan, who tragically died at the age of 67. Plus these stories: Continue reading “Podcast: Remembering Leslie Jordan, News From Brazil + More”
Who Will Replace Kamala Harris As U.S. Senator?
Vice President-elect Kamala Harris (via campaign Instagram)With Joe Biden and Kamala Harris projected to be the next President and Vice President of the U.S., many are looking to who might be tapped by California Gov. Gavin Newsom to take Sen. Harris’s seat in the U.S.Senate.
Politico reports that those inside Newsom’s inner circle say he would like to make a historic choice, and there are multiple contenders being mentioned who could become the first openly LGBTQ senator from the Golden State.
Long Beach Mayor Robert Garcia, viewed as a rising star in the Democratic Party, is reportedly on the shortlist of those being considered for the Senate seat. Garcia would be the first openly gay and first Latino senator from California.
In a recent poll by the USC Schwarzenegger Institute, Garcia received the highest response (57%) when voters were asked about individual possible candidates.
According to that survey, almost half of voters (48%) would prefer someone without experience in Washington, D.C., or in Sacramento. Thirty-one percent said they would like to see Newsom pick the state’s first Latino U.S. senator and 24% hoped for the state’s first LGBTQ U.S. Senator.
The first woman and openly LGBTQ person to lead the state Senate, State Senate pro Tempore Toni Atkins of San Diego, is also among those being floated to be the next senator from California. In the aforementioned survey, Atkins received 40% support.
The Victory Fund, which supports more representation of queer Americans in public office, adds to those possibilities California Assemblymember Evan Low, U.S. Representative Mark Takano, and California Senator Scott Wiener.
Newsom could still make history with a non-LGBTQ choice like Secretary of State Alex Padilla or state Attorney General Xavier Becerra. Either would be the first Latino senator in California history, plus choosing a statewide officer for the seat would allow the governor to name both the next senator and a powerful state officeholder’s replacement as well.
Many in political circles say the replacement should, like Harris, be a woman of color making Rep. Karen Bass (D-CA) of Los Angeles a strong contender. Bass was long reported as a possible choice for running mate for Biden and garnered 53% support in the Schwarzenegger Institute poll.
Also in the mix are Rep. Barbara Lee from Oakland who had 51% approval in the Institute’s survey, and freshman Rep. Katie Porter, who has shown to have strong support among younger voters. One small snag for Porter could be that she’s the first Democrat to represent California’s 45th District. A traditionally red district, if she were to take Harris’s seat, her House seat could possibly flip back to Republican.
Newsom has told the press he won’t begin the formal process of vetting candidates until after the election results were certified.
LGBTQ Candidates Win Across The Country Making History In Their Races
L-R Ritchie Torres, Sarah McBride, Torrey Harris, Michele Rayner (images via campaigns)
Vermont Dem Scores Historic 1st Transgender Gubernatorial Nomination
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| Christine Hallquist (image via Hallquist campaign) |
As the 2018 midterm primary season marches on, more and more LGBTQ candidates are not only running for public office but winning their initial contests.
In last night’s primary for the Democratic nomination for governor in Vermont, transgender businesswoman Christine Hallquist made history as the first transgender candidate to win the nomination of a major political party for governor.
With 99% of precincts reporting, the former energy company CEO garnered 48.3% of the Democratic primary vote, more than twice the 22% of her nearest opponent, James Ehlers.
She will now face incumbent Republican Gov. Phil Scott, who is running for his second term. While Vermont tends to lean progressive, Hallquist still faces an uphill climb as no candidate has defeated an incumbent governor in the Green Mountain state since 1962.
Should she win this fall, she would become only the second LGBTQ person to become governor in the United States following openly bisexual Gov. Kate Brown, the incumbent governor of Oregon who’s running for reelection this year as well.
Hallquist, who came out as transgender three years ago, told The Advocate last month that her priorities include addressing poverty, promoting renewable energy and fighting climate change, spotlighting economic development in the state’s rural areas, raising the minimum wage, working toward single-payer health care, and reworking the school funding structure, as well as empowering LGBTQ Vermonters.
Hallquist’s historic win last night means, as noted by Chris Johnson of The Washington Blade, that “all 4 letters in [the] LGBT acronym” are represented in Dem gubernatorial nominees this year.”
All 4 letters in LGBT acronym have won Democratic nomination to run for governor this year:L — Lupe Valdez, lesbian candidate in Texas
G — Jared Polis, gay candidate in Colorado
B — Kate Brown, bisexual incumbent in Oregon
T — Christine Hallquist, trans candidate in Vermont— Chris Johnson (@chrisjohnson82) August 15, 2018
In addition to Hallquist, the LGBT Democratic candidates who have won their primaries for governor include Oregon’s Brown; Lupe Valdez, a lesbian woman running in Texas; and Jared Polis, a gay man running in Colorado.
According to a study by the LGBTQ organization, The Victory Institute, 2018 has seen over 400 LGBTQ political candidates running for office in America.
Mayor Annise Parker, President & CEO of The Victory Fund, released a statement about Hallquist’s historic win, which read in part:
“Christine’s victory is a defining moment in the movement for trans equality and is especially remarkable given how few out trans elected officials there are at any level of government. Many thought it unthinkable a viable trans gubernatorial candidate like Christine would emerge so soon. Yet Vermont voters chose Christine not because of her gender identity, but because she is an open and authentic candidate with a long history of service to the state, and who speaks to the issues most important to voters.”
Tom Perez of the Democratic National Committee issued this statement:
“The DNC is proud to congratulate Christine Hallquist, Vermont’s Democratic nominee for governor and the country’s first-ever openly transgender nominee for governor, along with all of tonight’s Democratic nominees in the Green Mountain State.
“Christine’s historic victory tonight is an inspiration to LGBTQ people everywhere, and we are excited to stand behind her and the entire slate of fantastic Democratic nominees in Vermont.
“There’s no doubt that Christine and her fellow nominees will join a strong ticket this November that will fight for our values and serve as dedicated advocates for Vermont’s working families. Vermont voters know that Democrats have their backs and share their values, and they’re ready to organize to turn more seats blue this November.”
Watch Hallquist’s campaign video below. The general election takes place on November 6, 2018.