2016 Postmortem
Related: About this forumSanders decides on Dems to raise funds for - two of them seeking to defeat openly gay contenders
Following criticism that he hasnt aided candidates down ballot from the presidential race, Bernie Sanders has announced three congressional hopefuls he supports and two of them are seeking to defeat openly gay contenders.
In a fundraising email on Wednesday, Sanders announced he has endorsed three U.S. House candidates who support him in the presidential race and are seeking the Democratic nomination to run for Congress.
Sanders declared support for Lucy Flores, a former Nevada Assembly member running in Nevadas 4th congressional district; Pramila Jaypal, a member of the Washington State Senate running in Washingtons 7th congressional district; and Zephyr Teachout, a law professor at Fordham University running in New Yorks 19th congressional district.
The candidate makes the endorsements amid criticism he hasnt aided other candidates seeking office despite having raised $140 million this election cycle. An unprecedented amount comes from small donors, whom Sanders often says have contributed a average of $27 to his campaign.
...But two of these three candidates are seeking to defeat openly gay contenders seeking the Democratic nomination to run for Congress. As of right now, a total of seven lawmakers serving in the Congress are openly gay, lesbian or bisexual, or slightly more than 1 percent of the legislative body. Thats short of the estimated 3.5 percent of the U.S. population as a whole who identify as lesbian, gay or bisexual, according to the Williams Institute at the University of California, Los Angeles. (Transgender people make up an estimated one-third of one percent of the U.S. population, but no member of Congress, nor any member of a state legislature, is openly transgender.)
Teachout is running against Will Yandik, an openly gay farmer and Livingston deputy town supervisor who recently had a child with his same-sex spouse. Their primary is on June 28, weeks after the presidential contest on Tuesday.
Jayapal is competing against two openly gay candidates: Joe McDermott, a former member of the Washington legislature and now a member of the King County Council, and Brady Walkinshaw, a member of the Washington State House. Their primary is set for August 2, some time after the Washington presidential caucuses for Democrats, which took place on March 26, and the Republicans, which is set for May 24.
Both McDermott and Walkinshaw told the Washington Blade they objected to Sanders endorsements of their opponents at a time LGBT people arent proportionately represented in Congress.
McDermott called Sanders endorsement out-of-state interference in a race that should be decided by people of his district n Washington State.
The people of Washingtons seventh congressional district should decide their next representative, not out of state interests, whether from Super PACs or presidential candidates, McDermott said. As a gay legislator, I led efforts to include our transgender citizens in our states hate crime statute, and was a leader in the years long work to achieve marriage equality in Washington. Ill put my track record of proven progressive results up against anyone, and so long as the voters of the seventh district arent drowned out by outside money, Im very confident well be successful in November.
Walkinshaw said Sanders effort is undermining efforts to seat an openly LGBT and Spanish-speaking person as a representative in Congress.
Its sad that any national campaign would ignore the fact that multiple progressive leaders are running in competitive Democratic primaries like Washingtons 7th, where we have the chance to send our States first openly LGBT member to Congress and a first native Spanish speaker, Walkinshaw said. Were seeing states and a radicalized Republican party around our country pursuing discriminatory policies with newfound fervor, and now is not the time to be closing doors on LGBT candidates.
read more: http://www.washingtonblade.com/2016/04/14/sanders-raising-funds-against-gay-congressional-candidates/#sthash.velJ7aNV.uxfs&st_refDomain=t.co&st_refQuery=/9soSS7i3gN
msongs
(67,421 posts)MineralMan
(146,318 posts)Ugh...
silvershadow
(10,336 posts)mcar
(42,337 posts)Or the Washington Times? The Daily Caller? Breitbart News?
All have been touted here if they say something positive about Bernie.
Response to mcar (Reply #7)
silvershadow This message was self-deleted by its author.
yardwork
(61,667 posts)Will you mock publications focused on the black community next?
silvershadow
(10,336 posts)the article exactly? Are you gay-bashing? You know the article is bunk.
Response to bigtree (Original post)
Agschmid This message was self-deleted by its author.
Politicalboi
(15,189 posts)What's the problem. Defeating them is somehow anti-gay? Oh brother.
bigtree
(85,999 posts)...as is Sanders.
People who disagree are likely to oppose him. That's the way this works.
Btw, tell it to The Blade, who published this informative article.
morningfog
(18,115 posts)Renew Deal
(81,866 posts)That's inappropriate
Viva_La_Revolution
(28,791 posts)Amimnoch
(4,558 posts)Although from the article it seems he MAY be making at least a couple of bad choices in endorsements.
As a major political figure now, and with such an ambitious agenda he's been needing to get more active in getting the landscape of Congress changed.
As a strong supporter of Hillary this season, this is one of the first times his actions (endorsement of other candidates, and expanding his own campaign) have really impressed me.
passiveporcupine
(8,175 posts)after all the hounding on here that Bernie is not helping anyone down-ticket with his fundraising.
Jesus people, make up your minds.
Renew Deal
(81,866 posts)He's not helping any elected officials.
passiveporcupine
(8,175 posts)Last edited Fri Apr 15, 2016, 02:37 PM - Edit history (1)
who happen to be against money in politics and anti-corruption.
He's fighting for what he believes in. I'm with him on that.
And those are the kinds of dems we need down-ticket
Amimnoch
(4,558 posts)I don't see anything particularly wrong with that.
Amimnoch
(4,558 posts)This is the beginning of the coalition he's been needing to build from the beginning.
I don't speak for anyone else, but imo.. My own estimation of him just went up.
jfern
(5,204 posts)when neither is the incumbent and you prefer the positions of the straight woman?
morningfog
(18,115 posts)Response to bigtree (Original post)
cyberpj This message was self-deleted by its author.
Armstead
(47,803 posts)Response to Armstead (Reply #13)
cyberpj This message was self-deleted by its author.
Armstead
(47,803 posts)I'm a semi-Whoovian....(not hard core, but love it)
angstlessk
(11,862 posts)When the choice is between who supports him vs who supports Hillary...that, my friend is what is called a NO BRAINER!
NV Whino
(20,886 posts)Damned because he doesn't support down ticket races, and now damned that he does. Damned that he doesn't support people of different ethnicity, now damned that he does.
Being LBGT doesn't make one any more qualified for office than being a woman does. Get a grip, Camp Weathervane.
bigtree
(85,999 posts)...after he made the agreement with the DNC (who he still has an outstanding $75k lawsuit against).
But don't try and tell me that's where politics begins and ends. I understand, though, that political neophytes tend to develop political myopia over these developments.
Viva_La_Revolution
(28,791 posts)sadoldgirl
(3,431 posts)He is not President yet, and I know from experience
that in spite of that Obama interfered in primaries.
Now, I would be very angry with Bernie, if he asked for
support for DWS, however.
bigtree
(85,999 posts)...and no one is under any obligation to agree with him.
nadinbrzezinski
(154,021 posts)now he is spending money on down ticket races.
Oh the spin...
Amimnoch
(4,558 posts)You and I have disagreed on more than a few things this season.
This isn't one of them.
I'm glad to see he's finally expanding beyond his own campaign. My own estimation of him just went up.
nadinbrzezinski
(154,021 posts)Registering voters.
Amimnoch
(4,558 posts)I'm not going to diminish that achievement.
The big question, though is, are those voters helping change the landscape of congress to what is NEEDED to make Bernie's agenda happen? Or are they just registering for Bernie?
nadinbrzezinski
(154,021 posts)Down ticket includes all the way down to city council.
Two of my seats are open, we have two candidates running for city council on the Sanders cottails. Here is what is gobsmacking...we actually have an establishment type with a business PAC supporting him.
We have the same issue with the Mayor...indeed he started that one...and he is the republican. Our elected offices are supposedly non partisan...it's fantasy.
And this is too much inside baseball.
But think about it...we have two openly progressive candidates running for the city council of the 8th largest city in the US on the Sanders platform
I shall start my interviews of anybody who wants to talk to us, both R and Ds in a week...when people start paying attention. Otherwise we all are wasting our time. That is when we hit six weeks before the election.
bettyellen
(47,209 posts)NorthCarolina
(11,197 posts)if you are looking for this gay mans support you better be on the same page as Bernie Sanders as far as your politics is concerned or you will NOT get my vote.
I personally find your aspersion to be reprehensible, as if you feel you can use "the gay" as an attack. I would alert on your post for it's insensitivity, but I think it's probably better to let your "thought bubble" remain visible for all to see. I'm sure Hillary would be proud of you.
Bluenorthwest
(45,319 posts)Very well said, and it needs to be said.
m-lekktor
(3,675 posts)It's like voting for Obama because he is Black without considering his positions on the issues.
AgingAmerican
(12,958 posts)David Brock is openly gay too and he is a right wing propagandist. Being gay doesn't make you a better Democrat.
Jitter65
(3,089 posts)ibegurpard
(16,685 posts)I'm gay and no fucking way would I vote for an openly gay Republican. Barney Frank is openly gay and he's one of the biggest current apologists for Wall Street.
Where do these openly gay people stand on the corruption influence of money and corporate power on our political system?
frylock
(34,825 posts)Amimnoch
(4,558 posts)One of my biggest criticisms of him has been his lack of creating a coalition and using this momentum to get other's who also support his agenda elected.
I'm glad to see him expanding like this.
IMO.. Hillary supporter or Bernie Supporter, there is no downside to getting more liberals and progressives elected.
B Calm
(28,762 posts)ky_dem
(86 posts)no one wins - like always, thanks for playing