By Gregory Wright
The midterm elections are upon us! In a few short months the first statewide elections of the year will be held. Will you vote? Despite it not being a presidential election year, midterm elections are often hailed as the most important, especially in Michigan.
On the federal level, all U.S. Representative seats are up for election, as are some U.S. senators, including Sen. Debbie Stabenow (D-Michigan). In Michigan, every legislative seat is up for grabs; this includes the Senate and the House of Representatives. Additionally, the governor, secretary of state, and attorney general are all up for election. It's a busy year for Michigan.
So how will you vote? Will you vote straight Democrat? Will you base your vote on the issues and ignore party lines? What are those issues you value? So many questions and so many different answers. Personally, as a self-proclaimed Republican with Libertarian tendencies, I vote straight Republican, unless there is a vehemently anti-gay Republican running. Then I'll vote Democrat (shhh…don't tell the party). This, however, is quite different than how the typical LGBT community member votes. By all accounts, it is perceived that most LGBT community members are Democrats.
For those of you in shock, I'll wait until your jaw is picked up off the floor. I know, hard to believe. So, why is this the case? Why are so many LGBT community members Democrats? It could be because in recent years (i.e. under President George W. Bush), the Republican Party has gone on the offensive, attacking the LGBT community every chance they get. The Republican Party has become, largely, the party of social fundamentalists. But not all Republicans are bad!
I repeat, NOT ALL REPUBLICANS ARE BAD! And while many of us are looking ahead to 2008 and see potential Republican Presidential candidates that support LGBT rights, e.g. Sen. John McCain (Arizona), former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani, New York Gov. George Pataki, and so forth, there are many pro-LGBT Republicans running this year, right here in Michigan.
In the 9th Congressional District, which covers mostly Oakland County, there is an interesting race shaping up between two Republicans, incumbent U.S. Rep. Joe Knollenberg and former Michigan State Rep. Pan Godchaux. She has been outspoken on her support for the LGBT community and even attended Motor City Pride this year. Knollenberg, despite having a gay son, has been wishy-washy at best on LGBT issues. While not as outspoken as Godchaux, Knollenberg has his moments of clarity, e.g. voting to increase funding for the Ryan White CARE Act. Also Knollenberg voted against the Marriage Protection Amendment when it was introduced to the House this week.
For those in West Michigan there are two races that should interest you. Incumbent U.S. Rep. Joe Schwarz (Battle Creek) is running against former Michigan State Rep. Tim Walberg in the 7th Congressional District, which includes parts of Lenawee, Hillsdale, Jackson, Washtenaw, Eaton, Branch and Calhoun Counties. Schwarz is outspoken on his support for LGBT issues and voted against the Marriage Protection Amendment, whereas Walberg is outspoken about his anti-gay agenda.
Within the 7th Congressional District sits the 63rd State Representative District, currently occupied by Lorence Wenke. If you recall back to 2004, Wenke was one of the few Republicans that voted against House Joint Resolution U (HJR U) that would have put the anti-gay constitutional marriage amendment on the ballot (it did eventually make it on the ballot, but through a statewide petition). Wenke took a major hit from his conservative district of Kalamazoo and Battle Creek for his vote. Later that year he was challenged by Jerry Vander Roest, a former Michigan State Representative. Despite a tough election and a recount, Wenke won the primary by just under 100 votes, and went on to win the general election. This year, Wenke is again challenged by Vander Roest (who continues to be supported by the social fundamentalists).
These are just three examples of where your vote in the primary election (Aug. 8, 2006) can make a difference. There are many, many other races throughout Michigan where voting in the primary can mean the difference between a pro-LGBT Republican (or Democrat) and an anti-LGBT Republican (or Democrat) making it to the General Election (Nov. 7, 2006).
I encourage everyone to stay tuned to groups like Michigan Equality for their endorsements and recommendations. One can also find a lot of candidate information on the Internet and you can also read Between The Lines, which produces a comprehensive voter's guide each election year.
Remember, this year isn't just about Republicans versus Democrats. It's about them (anti-LGBT candidates) versus us (pro-LGBT candidates). And the "them" can be both Democrats and Republicans. So do your research, and vote for the inclusive candidate in the primary. Worst case scenario is that there could be a pro-LGBT Republican and pro-LGBT Democrat running against each other in the general election.
