Pro Gay Marriage Democrat Wins Special Calif. Elec

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Pro Gay Marriage Democrat Wins Special Calif. Election

by Matt Johns 365Gay.com Los Angeles Bureau

Posted: September 14, 2005 3:00 pm ET

(Torrance, California) A special election to replace state Assemblymember Mike Gordon that was marked by GOP attacks on gay marriage has been won handily by Democrat Ted Lieu a longtime gay rights supporter.

The election was called after Gordon, a Democrat, died earlier this year.

Lieu, a Torrance councilmember, was the former co-chair of Gordon's campaign committee when he won his Assembly seat in November 2004.

In addition to the support of the Democratic Party leadership, Lieu, 36, built a strong following among moderate Republicans. He was the only candidate to call for the legalization of same-sex marriage.

He defeated the three GOP candidates with about 60 percent of the vote - enough to avoid a runoff in November.

The leader among the Republicans was Mary Jo Ford of Manhattan Beach. During the campaign she attempted to chip away at Lieu's support calling him the "pro-homosexual agenda" candidate.

Despite the attacks Lieu beat all three Republicans two-to-one.

The victory came as a boost for same-sex marriage supporters in the state battling Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger over a same-sex marriage bill that Schwarzenegger has vowed to veto.

"We applaud Assemblymember-elect Lieu for his support of true equality and we thank the voters of the 53rd Assembly District for sending a message to the rest of the state that supporting equality is the way to win elections,” said Equality California Executive Director Geoffrey Kors in a statement.

Lieu will take office as soon as the vote is certified by county election officials.

"I look forward to fighting for the voters in this district when I get up to Sacramento," Lieu told the Daily Breeze newspaper.

"I think we ran a positive, uplifting campaign. We ran a bipartisan campaign with a lot of support from local folks, local organizations, local voters, local elected officials. I fully believe that old adage that all politics is local."

©365Gay.com 2005

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