Cleveland Stonewall Democrats announce wins on Tuesday - this is about the only good news coming out of Ohio after last Tuesday's election.
Press release after flip . . .
CLEVELAND STONEWALL DEMOCRATS
P.O. Box 91453
Cleveland, Ohio 44101-3453
www.clevelandstonewalldemocrats.org
<http://www.clevelandstonewalldemocrats.org>
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Thursday, November 10, 2005
Contact:
Mike Shea, VP-Media Relations
216.513.9005/ vpmediarelations@clevelandstonewalldemocrats.org
<mailto:vpmediarelations@clevelandstonewalldemocrats.org>
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STONEWALL DEMS SWEEP STATE!!
FIVE WIN OFFICES, SETTING A STATE RECORD - MOST IN OHIO'S HISTORY
THREE OPENLY-GAY AND LESBIAN CANDIDATES ELECTED IN CUYAHOGA COUNTY
ALONE
Electoral history was made in Cuyahoga County on Tuesday night
(11.8.05)
when three openly gay and lesbian candidates were elected to office,
all in
one night: Nickie Antonio (Lakewood City Council - At Large); Joe
Santiago
(Cleveland City Council - Ward 14); and, Mark Tumeo (Cleveland Heights
City
Council). ). Santiago and Tumeo beat incumbents as well.
87% OF CSD-ENDORSED CANDIDATES WON
Overall the Cleveland Stonewall Democrats (CSD) saw 87% of its endorsed
candidates (20 out of 23) win election. All six "priority" candidates
won
their races - in addition to Antonio, Santiago, and Tumeo, three
candidates
for Cleveland Heights City Council were re-elected (Bonnie Caplan,
Nancy
Dietrich, and Edward Kelley).
Historically, it was an election night of firsts for the
lesbian-gay-bisexual-transgender (LGBT) community:
* First time an openly-Gay/Lesbian candidate was elected to
office in
Cuyahoga County.
* First time that all of the Democratic Gay/Lesbian candidates
running for office in Ohio won election in one night (also elected were
Joe
Lacey/Dayton School Board, and Mary Jo Hudson/Columbus City Council.)
"Local communities want candidates, regardless of sexual orientation or
gender identity, to be concerned about neighborhood issues such as jobs
and
economic development, safe streets, and great school systems," said
Cleveland Stonewall Democrats (CSD) president Patrick Shepherd. "All
five of
our candidates campaigned on how their own platform to address each of
those
important issues."
Eric Stern, President of the National Stonewall Democrats in Washington
D.C., released this statement: "While Stonewall Democrats around the
country
work to effectuate change inside campaign offices, at state party
conventions, and in conversations with our fellow Democrats, the role
openly
LGBT Democratic elected officials have played inside the party for our
community has been historic and invaluable. From Congressman Barney
Frank
to Congresswoman Tammy Baldwin to the election this week of Nickie
Antonio,
Joe Santiago, and Mark Tumeo, Stonewall Democrats pay tribute to our
champions inside Congress and the state house who fight every day,
often
alone, to make the nation a better place for our families."
TWO INCUMBENTS DEFEATED
The following two incumbents were defeated in these races: Jimmie
Hicks,
Jr. (Cleveland Heights City Council) and Nelson Cintron (Cleveland City
Council - Ward 14).
"We will continue to target anti-gay elected officials such as Jimmie
Hicks,
Jr. While he has the distinction of being the first Cuyahoga County
elected
official to go down primarily because of his opposition to issues
important
to LGBT and progressive voters, but he won't be the last," said
Shepherd.
SIX-YEAR FOCUS ON CLEVELAND, CLEVELAND HEIGHTS, AND LAKEWOOD
CSD has focused its grassroots organizing on the cities of Cleveland,
Cleveland Heights, and Lakewood since the political group was formed in
2000. While the organization operates in Cleveland, the Lakewood
Caucus and
East Side Caucus have recently formed and are led by native residents.
"We have spend the past six years working to engage the LGBT community
to
emerge as a powerful voting bloc that ensures that elected officials
are
made accountable for their votes and policy decisions," said Shepherd.
"Despite what the Ken Blackwell-endorsed Ohio Restoration Project
thinks,
average Ohioans obviously care more about a candidate's credentials and
whether they feel a candidate can do the job they would be elected to
do
over their religious beliefs, sexual orientation, race or ethnicity.
Ohioans are a lot more fair than they are often given credit for
being."
A total of 13 out of the total 14 Cleveland City Council candidates who
received endorsements from the Cleveland Stonewall Democrats won
election
this year. A total of twelve incumbents were endorsed, six each from
the
East and West side city wards. Also endorsed were one non-incumbent for
an
open seat on the east side (Ward 5-Phyllis Cleveland) and one
challenger on
the west side (Ward 14-Joe Santiago.)
Also endorsed for Cleveland Municipal Judge were incumbents Kathleen
Ann
Keough and Ronald B. Adrine, both of whom won.
COMPLETE LIST OF ENDORSEMENTS
The group's final list of previous endorsements and results are as
follows:
CITY OF CLEVELAND
(P) denotes priority race
* denotes a challenger who defeated an incumbent
City of Cleveland/Mayor: Jane Campbell - defeated
Cleveland City Council/Ward 2: Robert White - won
Cleveland City Council/Ward 4: Kenneth Johnson - won
Cleveland City Council/Ward 5: Phyllis Cleveland - won
Cleveland City Council/Ward 6: Patricia Britt - won
Cleveland City Council/Ward 8: Kevin Conwell - won
Cleveland City Council/Ward 9: Sabra Pierce Scott - won
Cleveland City Council/Ward 12: Anthony Brancatelli - won
Cleveland City Council/Ward 13: Joe Cimperman - won
Cleveland City Council/Ward 14: Joe Santiago (P) - won*
Cleveland City Council/Ward 15: Emily Lipovan Holan -defeated
Cleveland City Council/Ward 16: Kevin J. Kelley - won
Cleveland City Council/Ward 17: Matt Zone - won
Cleveland City Council/Ward 18: Jay Westbrook - won
Cleveland City Council/Ward 19: Dona Brady - won
Cleveland Municipal Court/Judge- FTC 1/3/05: Kathleen Ann Keough - won
Cleveland Municipal Court/Judge- FTC 1/4/05: Ronald B. Adrine - won
Cleveland Municipal Court/Judge- FTC 1/5/05: Bobette Smiley Ousley -
defeated
CITY OF CLEVELAND HEIGHTS
Cleveland Heights City Council: Bonnie Caplan (P) - won
Cleveland Heights City Council: Nancy Dietrich (P) - won
Cleveland Heights City Council: Edward J. Kelley (P) - won
Cleveland Heights City Council: Mark Tumeo (P) - won*
CITY OF LAKEWOOD
Lakewood City Council/At-Large: Nickie J. Antonio (P) - won
BALLOT INITIATIVES
YES on Issue 2 - defeated
YES on Issue 3 - defeated
YES on Issue 4 - defeated
YES on Issue 5 - defeated
YES on Issue 7 - passed
The Cleveland Stonewall Democrats is a chapter of the National
Stonewall
Democrats. National Stonewall Democrats ( www.stonewalldemocrats.org
<http://www.stonewalldemocrats.org> ) is America's national voice for
lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender Democrats with more than over 90
local chapters nationwide.