May 02, 2008  |  By: REBECCA ARMENDARIZ  | COMMENTS     

It’s not often you find gay Democrats working to re-elect a straight Republican politician, but then again, 2008 is turning out to be an exceptional year in politics.

Stampp Corbin, a prominent Barack Obama supporter, and San Diego City Commissioner Nicole Murray-Ramirez are gay Democrats, but they’re organizing gay support for the re-election campaign of San Diego Mayor Jerry Sanders.

Sanders, a Republican, made national headlines — and YouTube infamy — in September when he wept while publicly announcing his support for same-sex marriage during a news conference.

He pledged his support for a resolution that City Council passed directing the city attorney to file a brief in support of a California gay marriage bill.

Though the mayor had previously said he would veto the resolution, he had a change of heart when the measure hit his desk.

“The arrival of the resolution to sign or veto in my office late last night forced me to reflect and search my soul for the right thing to do. I’ve decided to lead with my heart, to do what I think is right and to take a stand on behalf of equality and social justice. The right thing for me to do is sign this resolution,” he said during the news conference.

But that was not the first time the mayor supported gay rights, according to Murray-Ramirez, who serves on the board of the National Gay & Lesbian Task Force.

Sanders, who served as chief of police and as CEO of the San Diego United Way and board member for the city’s Red Cross, was “always reaching out to the gay and lesbian community,” said Murray-Ramirez, who rode in the city’s first Pride parade in 1974. “He marched in over a dozen Gay Pride parades and was the first police chief to march in uniform. He’s more of a public servant than a politician.”

When Sanders pledged his support for gay marriage, he also revealed that his daughter, Lisa, is a lesbian. Many have attributed Sanders’ marriage views to his daughter’s sexual orientation, but Corbin and Murray-Ramirez said that having gay appointees to advise him also contributed to his support.

The 2008 mayoral race pits Sanders against Republican opponent Steve Francis.

“All of the polling shows that this is clearly a race between the two Republicans,” Murray-Ramirez said. If no candidate receives 50 percent of the vote in the June election, a runoff will be held in November between the top two finishers.

Francis has said he would have vetoed the amicus brief measure in support of gay marriage.

Vince Vasquez, policy director for Francis’ campaign, said that Francis is a supporter of gay rights, including domestic partnerships and considers himself a friend to the gay community.

“Our campaign and its message are inclusive,” Vasquez said.

Fred Sainz, press secretary for Sanders, said he doesn’t see the gay marriage issue playing a big part in the re-election campaign.

“Whether people supported gay marriage or not, it really demonstrated that [people] believe that the mayor is a man of justice and compassion,” Sainz said, who is gay.

“I think that people felt for him, both as a human being and as a father, and that’s what they take away from it more than having changed their mind on gay marriage,” he said.

But Francis is less than friendly when it comes to gay issues, Sainz said.

“When Jerry made his decision on gay marriage, [Francis] openly lobbied the local Republican Party to withdraw their endorsement of Jerry. It didn’t work, so he turned tail on them and now the most conservative guy in town is running as an ‘independent.’ He changes positions more often than most of us change clothes,” he said.

An article in the San Diego Union-Tribune published last September said Francis supported domestic partnerships, but quoted him as saying that gay marriage is “disruptive to our family structure as a culture and a society.”

The city’s budget problems, immigration and a rise in crime have dominated the campaign, Corbin said.