Voters Send Record Number of LGBT Pols to Washington

“Now, I am well aware that I will have the honor of being Wisconsin’s first woman senator. And I am well aware that I will be the first openly gay member,” Baldwin said to loud cheers and chants of “Tammy, Tammy!” from her supporters. “But I didn’t run to make history. I ran to make a difference.”

Yesterday’s election was a watershed moment for LGBT equality. Not only did voters defeat attempts to deny marriage equality in four states at the ballot box, but a record number of LGBT representatives will be going to Washington to serve in Congress, including the nation’s first openly gay Senator, Tammy Baldwin (D) from Wisconsin. With 99.6% of the vote counted, Baldwin defeated former Gov. Tommy Thompson (R) 1,528,941 (51.5%) to ,363,994 (45.9%).

Five other openly gay representatives have won their races for Congress. Returning to Congress are Jared Polis (D-CO) and David Cicilline (D-RI). New gay members include Mark Takano (D-CA), Sean Patrick Maloney (D-NY), and Mark Pocan (D-WI). Pocan made history himself be becoming the first openly gay representative to take over a House seat from another openly gay representative when he won Rep. Tammy Baldwin’s old seat.

Arizona’s Kyrsten Sinema (D) leads in a tight race over former Paradise Vally mayor Vernon Walker (R) to become the first openly bi member of Congress. All precincts have been reported, but there are still a number of provisional ballots to be counted, making a final call in that race impossible.

SENATE RACE:

Wisconsin:
Tammy Baldwin (D, openly lesbian): 51.2% √
Tommy Thompson (R): 46.2.%
86.8% reporting.

CONGRESSIONAL RACES:

Arizona:
Kyrsten Sinema (D): 76,967, (47.5%)
Vernon Parker (R): 74,866 (46.2%)
100% reporting.

Sinema is poised to become the first openly bisexual member of the House of Representatives. The final result will now comes down to counting the provisional ballots.

California:
Mark Takano (D): 55,618 (56.5%) √
John Tavaglione (R): 42,770 (43.5%)
54.3% reporting.

Takano becomes the first LGBT Asian-American to be elected to the House.

Colorado:
Jared Polis (D): 218,322 (55.8%) √
Kevin Lundberg (R): 151,758 (38.8%)
90.9% reporting.

With Rep. Barney Frank’s (R-MA) retirement, Polis now becomes the longest serving LGBT representative in the house.

Massachusetts:
Richard Tisei (R): 175,9533 (47.3%)
John Tierney (D) 179,603 (48.3%) √
100% reporting.

Tisei was unsuccessful in his bid to unseat Tierney and become the first openly gay GOP member of the House.

New York:
Sean Patrick Maloney (D): 129,040 (51.7%) √
Nan Hayworth (R): 120,664 (48.3%)
96.7% reporting.

New York sends its first openly gay congressman to Washington.

Rhode Island:
David Cicilline (D): 101,331 (53.1%) √
Brendan Dohert (R): 7,632 (40.7%)
97.0% reporting

Cicilline won a bitterly fought campaign to return to Washington as Rhode Island’s openly gay congressman.

Wisconsin:
Mark Pocan (D): 264,790 (68.0%) √
Chad Lee (R): 124,465 (32.0%)
100% reporting.

Pocan easily won his bid to take over Tammy Baldwin’s seat, marking the first time in history that a congressional seat passed from one openly gay representative to another.