LGBT Candidates Help Shape Election Conversations in the West

Media coverage of openly gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender candidates and elected officials in the West does not seem to be focusing on the sexual orientation of those candidates.  In fact, in the key electoral state of Colorado, Congressman Mark Udall is seeking the US Senate seat for that state, and openly gay Jared Polis is seeking the nomination to replace Udall in the House.  Media reports have determined that Polis being gay is having no noticeable affect on the race.

In another key electoral state, Oregon, where Senator Gordon Smith has a tough re-election campaign facing him, there will be high-profile races with LGBT candidates, among them:  Senator Kate Brown running for Secretary of State and Commissioner Sam Adams seeking the position of Mayor of Portland.  So far the media coverage has not focused on the sexual orientation of either candidate.

In other states, lesbian candidates are more frequently mentioned in the media as defacto spokespeople for LGBT issues – but the media has not explored whether there is an effect of their sexual orientation on the individual races.  Examples include Representative Nicole LeFavour in Idaho (now seeking a Senate seat), Senator Christine Kauffman in Montana, Representatives Jackie Biskupski and Christine Johnson in Utah; and Representative Kyrsten Sinema in Arizona.

In one recent media story about the sexual orientation of legislators, the AP pointed out that Washington State, with six, is second only to New Hampshire (with 7) for the number of openly gay legislators.

There is clearly an intersection between openly LGBT candidates, LGBT issues, and election 2008 – however, that intersection, in most of the Western US, has moved beyond the sexual orientation of the candidate, but rather to the nuanced positions of those candidates – on LGBT and a myriad of other issues.

Paul Karr is the Director of Media Field Strategy