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Primary a winner for Michigan LGBT voters

LGBT-endorsed candidates made a strong showing in Tuesday's primary election in Michigan, with 80.5 percent of them winning their races. Several out, LGBT candidates won in county and city elections as well.

The most prominent win was in the Democratic primary for governor where Virg Bernero, who was strongly endorsed by BTL and all the LGBT PACSs, beat out Andy Dillon for the nomination. Bernero will face Republican Rick Snyder in November (see related story) who beat out Peter Hoekstra and Mike Cox in a five-way, hotly contested primary. Both Hoeskstra and Cox have long anti-LGBT resumes and were favored by groups opposed to a woman's right to choose.
Openly gay candidate Craig Covey won his bid to become the Democratic nominee in the race for Oakland County Commissioner in the 25th District, and will face Republican Richard Parisi in November for this open seat. Sandy Smith won her reelection bid as an open lesbian on the Ann Arbor City Counsel, as she will be unopposed in November. Openly gay Republican Ken Rosen won his race for the nomination for the Michigan State House seat in Royal Oak, and will face the Democratic nominee Jim Townsend in the general election.

Democrat David Coulter lost his bid to become the first openly gay candidate for the Michigan Senate, coming in a close second to Vincent Gregory in a four-way race. Gregory will face off with Republican Michael Peters in the November general election.

A contest of special interest to the LGBT community was the Republican primary in the Michigan Senate 7th District, in which Debbie Whyman lost to Patrick Colbeck. Whyman gained notoriety in the 1990s when, as a state representative, she welcomed the Michigan Militia to the state capitol, introduced Michigan's state law banning same-sex marriage, verbally attacked the Triangle Foundation and ultimately lost a lawsuit brought by Triangle against her for libel. The LGBT community breathed a collective sigh of relief that she lost her race and will not be in the state legislature again any time soon.

LGBT primary endorsements: Who won and who lost?

Number endorsed, excluding court races: 87
Number of endorsed winners: 70, or 80.5%
Number of uncontested wins: 37
Number of contested wins: 32, or 64%
Mike McGuinness, who ran for Oakland County Commissioner in the Fifth District, was counted as a "write-in" for the seat. Write in results are not yet tallied.

U.S. Congress:

Won, contested Fred Johnson (2nd District) – MI Dem LGBTA Caucus
Scott Withers (5th District) – MI Dem LGBTA Caucus
Won, uncontested Mark Schauer (7th District) – MI Dem LGBTA Caucus, LAHR-PAC rated Positive
Won, uncontested Mike Rogers – LAHR-PAC rated Very Negative
Won, uncontested Gary Peters (9th District) – MI Dem LGBTA Caucus
Won, uncontested Natalie Mosher (11thDistrict) – MI Dem LGBTA Caucus
Won, contested Sander Levin (12th District) – MI Dem LGBTA Caucus

Governor:

Won, contested Virg Bernero – EM-PAC, KAFE and MI Dem LGBTA Caucus. LAHR-PAC rated Extremely Positive

Michigan Senate:

Won, contested Coleman A. Young (1st District) – EM-PAC
Won, contested Bert Johnson (2nd District) – EM-PAC
Won, uncontested Glenn S. Anderson (6th District) – EM-PAC and MI Dem LGBTA Caucus
Won, contested Hoon-Yung Hopgood (8th District) – EM-PAC
Frank Accavitti Jr. (9th District) – EM-PAC
Won, contested Steve Bieda (9th District) – EM-PAC
Carl Marlinga (10th District) – MI Dem LGBTA Caucus
Won, contested Casandra E. Ulbrich (12th District) – EM-PAC
David Coulter (14th District) – EM-PAC and MI Dem LGBTA Caucus
Won, contested Pam Jackson (15th District) – MI Dem LGBTA Caucus
Won, contested Rebekah Warren (18th District) – MI Dem LGBTA Caucus
Won, contested Robert B. Jones (20th District) – EM-PAC, KAFE and MI Dem LGBTA Caucus
Won, uncontested Gretchen Whitmer (23rd District)- LAHR-PAC rated Positive
Won, contested Rick Jones (24th District) – LAHR-PAC rated Negative
Won, contested Paula Zelenko (26th District) – EM-PAC
Won, contested David LeGrand (29th District) – MI Dem LGBTA Caucus
Won, uncontested Debasish Mridha (32nd District) – EM-PAC
Won, contested Roger Dunigan (35th District) – EM-PAC

Michigan House of Representatives:

Carol Banks (3rd District) – EM-PAC
Won, contested Fred Durhal Jr. (6th District) – EM-PAC
Leslie Love (8th District) – EM-PAC
Stacy Pugh (10th District) – EM-PAC
Won, contested Rashida Tlaib (12th District) – EM-PAC
Frank Liberati (14th District) – EM-PAC
Won, contested Deb Kennedy (23rd District) – EM-PAC
Frank Houston (26th District) – EM-PAC
Won, contested Lesia Liss (28th District) – EM-PAC
Won, contested Ken Lampar (30th District) – EM-PAC
Won, contested Woodrow Stanley (34th District) – EM-PAC
Eric Coleman (35th District) – EM-PAC
Won, uncontested Vicki Barnett (37th District) – EM-PAC
Won, uncontested Lisa Brown (39th District) – EM-PAC
Won, uncontested Julie Candler (40th District) – EM-PAC
Won, uncontested Harold L. Haugh (42nd District) – EM-PAC
Won, uncontested Mary Ward (45th District) – EM-PAC
Won, uncontested Garry Post (47th District) – EM-PAC
Won, uncontested Jim Ananich (49th District) – EM-PAC
Won, contested Art Reyes (51st District) – EM-PAC
Won, contested Christine Green (52nd District) – EM-PAC
Ned Staebler (53rd District) – MI Dem LGBTA Caucus
Lonnie Scott (54th District) – MI Dem LGBTA Caucus
Won, contested Sean McCann (60th District) – EM-PAC and KAFE
Grant Taylor (61st District) – EM-PAC and KAFE
Won, uncontested Kate Segal (62nd District) – EM-PAC
Won, uncontested Dave Morgan (63rd District) – EM-PAC and KAFE
Won, uncontested Joan Bauer (68th District) – EM-PAC, and LAHR-PAC rated Positive
Won, contested Mark S. Meadows (69th District) – EM-PAC, and LAHR-PAC rated Extremely Positive
Mark Eagle (71st District) – LAHR-PAC rated Positive
Won, uncontested Cindy Ellis (78th District) – EM-PAC
Won, uncontested Pamela Drake (85th District) – LAHR-PAC rated Very Positive
Won, uncontested Paul E. Opsommer (93rd District) – LAHR-PAC rated Negative
Won, uncontested Vince Mosca (94th District) – EM-PAC
Won, contested Toni Sessoms (99th District) – EM-PAC and MI Dem LGBTA Caucus
Won, contested Scott Dianda (110 District) – EM-PAC

County Commissioners:
Eaton County

Won, uncontested Linda Keefe (District 10) – LAHR-PAC rated Very Positive
Won, uncontested Roger Harris (District 15) – LAHR-PAC rated Positive

Ingham County:

Won, uncontested Victor Celentino (District 1) – LAHR-PAC rated Positive
Won, uncontested Brian McGrain (District 3) – LAHR-PAC rated Extremely Positive
Won, uncontested Rebecca Bahar-Cook (District 4) LAHR-PAC rated Extremely Positive
Won, contested Andy Schor (District 5) LAHR-PAC rated Very Positive
Kenneth Peterson (District 5) – LAHR-PAC rated Negative
Won, uncontested Dale Copedge (District 6) – LAHR-PAC rated Positive
Won, uncontested Todd Tennis (District 7) – LAHR-PAC rated Positive
Won, uncontested Penelope Tsernoglou (District 8) – LAHR-PAC rated Very Positive
Won, uncontested Carol Koehib (District 9) – LAHR-PAC rated Very Positive
Won, uncontested Mark Grebner (District 10) – LAHR-PAC rated Extremely Positive
Won, uncontested Dianne Holman (District 11) – LAHR-PAC rated Positive
Won, uncontested Deb Nolan (District 12) – LAHR-PAC rated Extremely Positive
Won, uncontested Randy Shafer (District 13) – LAHR-PAC rated Positive
Won, uncontested Liz Kranz (District 14) – LAHR-PAC rated Positive
Won, uncontested Karen Dravenstatt-Moceri (District 15) – LAHR-PAC rated Positive
Barry Damon (District 15) – LAHR-PAC rated Positive
Won, contested Vince Dragonetti (District 15) – LAHR-PAC rated Negative
Won, contested Donald Vickers (District 16) – LAHR-PAC rated Negative

Kalamazoo County

Won, contested Robert Barnard (District 3) – KAFE
Won, uncontested Brian Johnson (District 5) – KAFE
Won, uncontested David Buskirk (District 7) – KAFE
Scott Spicer (District 12) – KAFE
Won, uncontested Leroy Crabtree (District 15) – KAFE
Paul Foust, Richland Township Trustee – KAFE

Oakland County

No results available Mike McGuinness (District 5) – MI Dem LGBTA Caucus
Won, contested Nancy Quarles (District 23) – MI Dem LGBTA Caucus
Won, contested Craig Covey (District 25) – MI Dem LGBTA Caucus

Washtenaw County

Yousef Rabhi – MI Dem LGBTA Caucus

Ann Arbor City races:

Won, contested Ann Arbor Mayor – John Heftje – MI Dem LGBTA Caucus
Won, contested Ann Arbor City Council – Sandi Smith – MI Dem LGBTA Caucus

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