Well, it was a bittersweet day (and night)...
I had done some canvassing over the summer with PROMO (Personal Rights of Missourians) and the Constitution Defense League, and it seemed that in Springfield it might be a close vote on Amendment 2. But we didn't really do much work on the issue outside of big cities.
Still, we were all very surprised at the Amendment 2 watch party when the results showed such a large margin approving of the measure to amend the Missouri Constitution in this way.
There was a lot of crying on shoulders, but even more promises that the fight for equal rights is not over.
Anyway, I left there mid way through the evening and went to the watch party at the Newberry For Congress campaign HQ where, for the most part, there was a much more cheerful group of a couple hundred people.
As the results were coming in it was clear that Jim Newberry would win his primary by a considerable margin.
As the tvnews was doing interviews and showing the elated crowd at the affair, I was sitting on the stairs having a conversation with Kim, Jim Newberry's wife.
She told me that she couldn't believe that it got approved by such a large margin... she added that the she regretted "Show Me" state was showing America what would amount to public support of bigotry.
My only reply to that was "Kim, you win some and you lose some."
And that is what I was feeling that night. So I tried to put the results of the state amendment out of my mind so I could relish the fact that we had nominated a decent man, who I believe will represent us ALL, to run for Congress in the 7th district.
Here are some reuslts of interest from the August third primary in Missouri:
Amendment 2-Gay Marriage - 100%; 3,992 of 3,992 precincts reporting
Oth Primary
Votes Pct
Yes 1,054,235 70.7%
No 437,563 29.3%
U.S. Senate - 100%; 4,003 of 4,003 precincts reporting
Dem Primary
Name Party Votes Pct
Nancy Farmer Dem 543,609 73.7%
Charles Berry Dem 142,995 19.4%
Ronald Bonar Dem 51,276 6.9%
Governor - 100%; 3,992 of 3,992 precincts reporting
Dem Primary
Name Party Votes Pct
Claire McCaskill Dem 436,855 51.6%
Bob Holden (i) Dem 382,862 45.3%
U.S. House - District 7 - 100%; 320 of 320 precincts reporting
Dem Primary
Name Party Votes Pct
Jim Newberry Dem 23,981 47.7%
Jack Truman Dem 12,914 25.7%
Doug Burlison Dem 9,655 19.2%
Ron Lapham Dem 3,743 7.4%