PA: Brian Sims, first openly gay legislator, ready to take office

Pennsylvania’s first elected gay legislator is getting ready to take office in the State House in January after winning an uncontested race this past week.

Brian Sims ran against long-time Democratic incumbent Rep. Babette Josephs of the 182nd Legislative district in Philadelphia in the April primary and beat her.

Since openly gay Brian Sims ran uncontested in the general election, he is now officially Pennsylvania's first-ever openly gay legislator:

He had no Republican opponent in Tuesday’s general election so once the first vote was cast and no write-ins were visible, Sims was considered elected by the end of the night. Sims says he’s proud to be the first LGBT legislator to be elected in Pennsylvania, but says that distinction will not define him once he is sworn in at the beginning of January. “I want to change our tax code. I also want to grapple back so much of that funding that we lost for education. So, I’ve got my work cut out for me in a whole bunch of areas,” he says.

(source)