Oprah Campaigns For Stacey Abrams In Georgia

Oprah Winfrey

Oprah Winfrey campaigning in Georgia for Democratic gubernatorial candidate Stacey Abrams:

"That's why I'm a registered Independent. Because I don't want any kind of party, or any kind of partisan influence telling me what decisions I get to make for myself.

"So I wanted to just say to you: Nobody paid for me to come here; nobody even asked me to come here. I paid for myself and I approve this message."

Oprah goes on to say when she personally called Abrams and introduced herself, Abrams  response was, "Girl, lemme pull over to the side of the road."

And then there was this: " I just wanna say y’all been on my mind – Georgia you’ve been on my mind. I was just sitting in California, minding my own business, but I could not stop thinking about whats going on down here."

Oprah Winfrey says she reached out to Democrat Stacey Abrams and asked to campaign for her because she stands for the values that matter.

"Nobody paid for me to come here, nobody even asked me to come here, I paid for myself and I approve this message" https://t.co/7Z8DKAKQ9e pic.twitter.com/kS3LME12el

— ABC News Politics (@ABCPolitics) November 1, 2018

pic.twitter.com/UZVkujRTT1

— TPM Livewire (@TPMLiveWire) November 1, 2018

Nevada: 12 Members Of Adam Laxalt's Family Pen Op-Ed Opposing His Candidacy For Governor

Republican gubernatorial candidate Adam Laxalt

In a devastating op-ed posted in the Reno Gazette, 12 Nevadans express their opposition to Republican candidate for governor, Adam Laxalt.

Those 12 people happen to all be members of the Laxalt family.

Here's an excerpt from the Reno Gazette:

First, for those of us who were actually raised in Nevada, it’s difficult to hear him continue to falsely claim that he was raised in Nevada or has any true connections to Nevadans.

The simple fact is that while he may have been born in Reno, he left as an infant and was raised on the East Coast, 3,000 miles away, in Washington, D.C., and moved here only in 2013, only one year later launching his political career. Aside from the occasional short visit, Adam never knew the state or its people. Perhaps if he had, he would stand for Nevada’s values rather than for those of his out-of-state donors.

If he responds to this column at all, it will probably be to say that he hardly knows the people writing this column. And in many ways that would be true. We never had a chance to get to know him, really — he spent his life in Washington, D.C., while we lived in Northern Nevada and grew up in public schools and on public lands. He moved to Nevada in 2013 so that he could lean on the reputation of a family that he hardly knew while tapping into support by donors who had no interest in our state or its people.

It’s worth saying that this column isn’t about politics. We would be proud to have a Laxalt running for office on Nov. 6, regardless of whether they were Republican or Democrat or independent, so long as we believed that they would be good for Nevada.

We’re writing because we care about Nevada and because we know the truth about this candidate. We think that you should, too.

The op-ed is signed Gabriel Urza, Kevin Nomura, Amy Nomura Solaro, Alexandra Urza, Kevan Danielle Laxalt, Michelle Terese Laxalt, Peter Laxalt, Michelle Janet Laxalt, Dr. Kevin Marie Laxalt, Dr. Kristin Laxalt, Monique Laxalt and Meggan Laxalt Mackey.

The Laxalt family points out even though Adam is currently the Attorney General of Nevada, his tenure as a practicing lawyer was considered "a train wreck" by his own law firm members.

The op-ed also says that Laxalt had worked to undermine current two-term governor of Nevada, Republican Brian Sandoval. Sandoval has notably refused to endorse Laxalt in this year's race.

Florida: Mayor Andrew Gillum Leads Rep. Ron DeSantis In Governor's Race

A new CNN poll is energizing Florida Democrats as two of their top candidates are beginning to pull out significant leads.

The CNN poll, conducted Tuesday through Saturday, shows Tallehasse Mayor Andrew Gillum garnering support from 54% of likely voters versus 42% for Republican Rep. Ron DeSantis.

In the U.S. Senate race, CNN shows incumbent Democrat Sen. Bill Nelson leading current Florida Republican Gov. Rick Scott among likely voters, 50% to 45%.

RealClearPolitics' average of polls shows Gillum leads DeSantis by an average of 3.7%, and Nelson has an average 2.4% lead over Scott.

So, this is by no means a done deal. Make sure you get out and vote, folks.

Cynthia Nixon Falls Short In Bid For Dem Nomination For NY Governor

Actress Cynthia Nixon (L) Gov. Andrew Cuomo (R)

 Last night marked the end of one of 2018’s most high-profile political campaigns by an LGBT candidate as Sex in the City star Cynthia Nixon came up short in her attempt to become the Democratic nominee for governor in New York.

With 99% of the votes counted, incumbent Gov. Andrew Cuomo trounced Nixon by more than 30 points winning the Democratic primary 65.6% to Nixon's 34.4%.

Nixon, a political novice who's never held public office, had an uphill race pitted against Cuomo, who now heads into the general election seeking his third term as governor.

Nixon took to Twitter to thank her supporters and also take credit for pushing Gov. Cuomo further to the left on some issues.

"While the result tonight wasn’t what we had hoped for, I’m not discouraged. I’m inspired. I hope you are too. We have fundamentally changed the political landscape in this state."

"This isn’t just a symbolic victory. This campaign forced the Governor to make concrete commitments that will change the lives of people across this state."

While the result tonight wasn’t what we had hoped for, I’m not discouraged. I’m inspired. I hope you are too. We have fundamentally changed the political landscape in this state.

— Cynthia Nixon (@CynthiaNixon) September 14, 2018

This isn’t just a symbolic victory. This campaign forced the Governor to make concrete commitments that will change the lives of people across this state.

— Cynthia Nixon (@CynthiaNixon) September 14, 2018

Nixon went on to list several issues like legalizing marijuana, fixing the New York City subway system and banning plastic bags as issues her campaign helped to move the governor into making promises to address.

LGBTQ Advocacy Groups Choose NY Gov. Cuomo Over Out Actress Cynthia Nixon

Cynthia Nixon (L), Gov. Andrew Cuomo (R)

Out New York gubernatorial candidate and award winning actress Cynthia Nixon is finding no love from prominent LGBTQ advocacy organizations when it comes to endorsements for her nascent campaign.

Both the Stonewall Democrats and the Human Rights Campaign have issued announcements throwing their support for incumbent Gov. Andrew Cuomo instead of the openly lesbian actress.

HRC proudly endorsed NY Gov Cuomo for re-election because he has been a champion for LGBTQ equality during his 7 years in office.He banned “conversion therapy” for kids, enacted protections for trans people & led the fight to win marriage equality in 2012. https://t.co/OBoMcSz7MI

— Human Rights Campaign (@HRC) April 16, 2018

In terms of the LGBTQ community, Cuomo believes his record on gay issues shows results not ‘rhetoric.’

“The governor is focused on results. We’ll leave the baseless election-year rhetoric to others,” said Cuomo spokesperson Abbey Collins. “With LGBTQ rights under attack from Trump, New Yorkers know they can count on Governor Cuomo to stand up and fight back.”

The Grammy/Tony/Emmy Award winning actress, however, points to what she says are lapses in the governor’s record including no ban on so-called ‘conversion therapy’ in the state. She also believes she did more heavy-lifting in the fight to bring marriage equality to New York state.

“Gov. Cuomo may have signed the bill, but Cynthia was fighting alongside other activists for the right to marry her now wife, Christine,” Nixon spokesperson Sarah Ford told Buzzfeed. “She understands the needs of the LGBTQ community as a wife and mother of a transgender son on a deeply personal level.”

Aside from the political posturing, though, the endorsements by HRC and Stonewall Dems raises an important question: should LGBTQ advocacy groups focus their support on candidates from the community? Or should experience carry the day?

Allen Roskoff, president of the Jim Owles Liberal Democratic Club in New York, criticized the HRC’s endorsement of Cuomo saying, “The Human Rights Campaign has been more interested in their real estate, high salaries, and hobnobbing with middle-of-the-road Democrats — while, in many cases, thumbing their nose at labor and other civil rights groups.”

“Their endorsement is not based on what’s best for the community - it’s about what’s best for their brand,” he added.

But Marty Rouse, HRC’s national field director, told BuzzFeed his organization backed Cuomo because "we stand with elected leaders who stand with us.”

The most recent polling, from Siena University, shows the Emmy, Grammy and Tony Award winner trailing 31 points behind Cuomo 29% to his 60%. That same poll showed Cuomo’s favorability at 67% and Nixon’s at 29%.

The primary is scheduled for September 13.

It’s worth noting that this isn’t the first time the HRC has been accused of ignoring LGBTQ candidates over straight, cisgender nominees.

One example - earlier this year, this writer interviewed openly lesbian, black, female state Sen. Patricia Spearman prior to the state primary for the 4th Congressional District of Nevada.

Even with years in the state legislature, having a BA in political science, a Doctor of Business Administration degree, a Masters in Divinity and being a 29 year veteran of the U.S. Army where she achieved the rank of Lt. Colonel, she says the Human Rights Campaign never called her to even inquire about how they could help her campaign.

Instead, the HRC backed former congressman Steven Horsford, a straight, cisgender male, who won the Democratic nomination.

Some political folks have chimed in on the subject saying the Trump administration is an example of what can happen when ‘celebrities’ with no prior experience in public service take office.

What do you think, readers?

Should our advocacy groups focus on backing candidates from the community who step up?

Or should experience count more?

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.

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."

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)

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.

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.

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.

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)