By Dawn Wolfe Gutterman
BTL has evaluated the candidates based on the following factors:
Questionnaire score
Voting record: Incumbents have been rated according to their
voting record and the kinds of bills they sponsored, as well as by their
Questionnaire if it was returned, and evaluated against available
information on their opposition.
Endorsements by other organizations: BTL closely follows the
endorsements of both pro and anti-LGBT organizations, and takes those
endorsements into account when issuing our own.
Other factors: In addition to the above, wherever possible BTL
has rated candidates on factors including not only political party,
electability, and the opposition. In other words, we may not know a
particular candidate's stand on the LGBT community's issues – but if we
know their opponents are worse, we will endorse the probable lesser of
two evils, especially if in our opinion the "lesser evil" has a chance
to win.
In addition, BTL does not endorse candidates who are anti-choice on
abortion, and in 2006 we are not endorsing any state House candidates
who voted to allow health insurance companies to use religious
preferences to limit coverage (House Bills 4745 and 4746), state Senate
candidates who voted in favor of Senate Concurrent Resolution 0033
(against domestic partner benefits) or Federal candidates who have
supported any version of the misnamed Federal Marriage Amendment.
