Election 2006: Fairness Victories in Kentucky and Across America

Coast to coast, fair-minded candidates won their election bids while some of the country’s nastiest anti-fairness extremists fell. Here in Kentucky, fairness prevailed in races at the federal, state, and local level. These victories represent a step toward fairness in Kentucky and across the country.

The Gay and Lesbian Victory Fund is an organization that provides funding and support to openly gay candidates for federal, state, and local offices. In 2006 they endorsed a record 88, of whom 67 pulled through on Election Day, some winning historic races that make them the first openly gay or lesbian candidates ever elected in their states or legislative bodies.

More than that, fairness allies overwhelmingly won races for the U.S. Senate, U.S. House, and governorships. The Human Rights Campaign endorsed 225 candidates in such contests, of whom 210 defeated their opponents.

In Kentucky, Louisville voters sent John Yarmuth to the U.S. House, replacing incumbent Anne Northup. Yarmuth has said he (unlike Northup) opposes the federal anti-marriage amendment and will likely support fairness interests on Capitol Hill.

Yarmuth joins a more fair-minded Congress, which increases the chance that pro-fairness legislation, such as the repeal of the military’s ban on openly gay armed service members, will advance. The Democratic majority in both chambers vastly reduces the specter of a federal anti-marriage equality amendment.

In the Kentucky House of Representatives, Lexington’s Susan Westrom successfully defended her seat in a tough race that brought U.S. Senator Mitch McConnell to stump for her opponent, Mike Farmer. Her support for on-the-job fairness in Kentucky did not become an issue in the campaign.

Jim Gray won the most votes in the race for Fayette County council-at-large race, making him the next vice-mayor of Lexington. Gray made history as the first openly gay candidate elected to countywide office. Lexington Mayor-elect Jim Newberry joined the Kentucky Fairness Alliance at our Out & About dinner on October 7.

CFAIR, the political arm of Jefferson County’s Fairness Campaign, endorsed winners William McAnulty for state Supreme Court, and Reps. Tom Burch and Darryl Owens for state Representative.

All these CFAIR-endorsed candidates also won their races:

• Ken Herndon- County Judge/Executive
• Tony Lindauer- Property Valuation Administrator
• Cheri Bryant Hamilton- Metro Council District 5
• Denise Clayton- Circuit Court, 4th Division
• Susan Schultz Gibson- Circuit Court, 12th Division
• Fred J. Cowan- Circuit Court, 13th Division
• Eleanor M. Garber - Family Court, 5th Division
• Joseph W. “Joe” O’Reilley- Family Court, 7th Division
• Donna Delahanty- Family Court, 8th Division
• Joan A. “Toni” Stringer - District Court, 13th Division