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New Hampshire Sen. John Sununu, a Republican, is considered vulnerable in his re-election bid; he rated a 33 out of 100 in HRC's congressional scorecard in the 109th Congress. (Photo by Jim Cole/AP)
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HOME > NEWS > NATIONAL NEWS
By: JOSHUA LYNSEN COMMENTS
 
Gay activists are taking an early interest in five 2008 U.S. Senate races, hoping to oust opponents of gay rights and assist allies.
Also a priority for the Human Rights Campaign and other gay organizations is replacing retiring Sens. Wayne Allard (R-Colo.) and John Warner (R-Va.) with politicians who support gay measures.
Warner and Allard both received zeros on the most recent HRC congressional scorecard.
“As we think about where we are legislatively right now — trying to get hate crimes through in the Senate, the possibility of an employment non-discrimination bill coming up in the Senate — I think we have more work to do in terms of adding more fair-minded allies,” said HRC President Joe Solmonese.
Activists are eyeing for defeat two senators who have mixed records on gay issues and are widely seen as politically vulnerable: Sens. Norm Coleman (R-Minn.) and John Sununu (R-N.H.).
HRC gave Coleman 22 of 100 on its scorecard for the 109th Congress, while Sununu got 33 of 100.
Resources also will be marshaled to help Sen. Mary Landrieu (D-La.), considered a gay ally, retain what could become a hotly contested seat. She scored 88 or higher during the last three sessions of Congress.
Clyde Wilcox, a government professor at Georgetown University, said the five seats could be among the most competitive Senate races in the nation.
But wins in each race, he said, would be significant victories for gays who look to Democrats to advance their legislative goals.
“It would be a net gain of four seats for Democrats and put them at 55,” he said. “With the help of some liberal Republicans in the Senate, that would be enough votes to exercise a little muscle.”
Observers say the Colorado contest is a marquee race for gays because it could trigger one of the nation’s greatest political changes.
Among those running to succeed Allard, who sponsored a constitutional amendment to define marriage as being between a man and a woman, is Democratic Rep. Mark Udall, whom HRC gave perfect scores during the last three sessions.
“I can’t think of a better friend to the community than Mark Udall,” Solmonese said. “The idea that you could, in a state like Colorado, replace Allard with someone like Udall, that’s an example of these Senate races going in the right direction for our community.”
Pat Steadman of Equal Rights Colorado agreed. He said HRC was wise to endorse Udall.
“I do think the political climate here in Colorado suggests that this is a key Senate race to participate in,” he said. “Our state has been changing from red to purple to blue, and I think this is clearly an opportunity to strengthen the pro-equality numbers in the United States Senate.”
Udall’s probable Republican opponent is former Rep. Robert Schaffer, whom HRC gave a zero during his final session in Congress.
An unreleased GOP poll cited by race observers shows Udall leading Schaffer, 45 percent to 40 percent, but the numbers could not be verified.
Gays in Virginia are hoping for a similar turnabout in the race to replace Warner.
Dyana Mason of Equality Virginia said former Gov. Mark Warner, who announced this month plans to seek the open seat, would represent a significant step forward.
Mark Warner, a Democrat who’s unrelated to the Republican senator, used his gubernatorial powers in 2005 to make it illegal for state agencies to discriminate against their workers because of their sexual orientation.
“He was the first governor in Virginia to include sexual orientation in that executive order,” Mason said, “and that was a very significant milestone for us in the state.”
Mark Warner is well positioned in the race. His main Republican opponents, former Gov. Jim Gilmore and Rep. Tom Davis, trail him by 20 points in separate polls conducted this month by Rasmussen Reports.
But his record on gay issues is mixed. In recent years, he’s opposed marriage equality and civil unions, supported allowing gay couples to enter into private contracts that grant each other rights and opposed a state constitutional ban on gay marriage.
Solmonese said it’s therefore unclear how strongly Mark Warner is willing to support gay issues.
“We would be, I assume, beginning a different kind of conversation with someone like him than we would with someone like Udall, who has a very clear record on our issues in the House,” he said.
Mason said Mark Warner would nonetheless be a step forward for gay Virginians.
“While he wasn’t out in front on our issues,” she said, “he was always willing to sit down with us and talk with us about ...
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