10 GAY PEOPLE'S CHRONICLE APRIL 17, 1998

EDITORIAL

Vote in the primary election on May 5

For the Ohio gay and lesbian community, "politics as usual" is about many thingsmoving our agenda of equality forward, achieving liberation, and transforming the hearts and minds of a society that has traditionally despised us. When we go to the polls, we vote for our lives and the lives of those who will follow us.

If we are to continue to improve our lives and our place in society, we must be visible and heard in every election—including primaries. The seeds of gay community influence in state elections were sown four years ago, and the result has been the recognition of our needs by elected officials and an increase in the number of politicians willing to take up our causes.

Ohio will hold its primary elections Tuesday, May 5. We have attempted to call attention to those candidates who have been a part of the struggle for gay and lesbian equality and have stood with us and for us in their positions of influence.

We have tried to highlight those candidates with primary opposition, and those whose campaigns are worthy of our votes, financial and volunteer support through November. In some districts which lean strongly toward one party in general elections, such as U.S. House District 11, the primary is where the real decision is made.

Realizing that it is impossible to include every worthy Ohio candidate, we challenge our readers to find out which candidates stand with us and be sure they are elected. U.S. Senate

ERIC RESNICK

Running for the Democratic nomination to oppose Republican governor George V. Voinovich for the United States Senate seat being vacated by Democrat John Glenn, the worthy candidate is former Cuyahoga County commissioner Mary O. Boyle.

Clearly, the most important issue we will have in the Sen-

ate is the gay

and lesbian Em-

ployment Non-

Discrimination Mary O. Boyle Act, or ENDA,

and Boyle has indicated her support. Boyle was the endorsed candidate for Senate by the Chronicle in 1994 because of her strong, unwavering support for the rights of sexual minorities and AIDS issues.

U.S. House, District 1

Cincinnati mayor Roxanne Qualls is the preferred candidate over Ray Mitchell of Dayton in this Cincinnati district. The winner will face Republican incumbent Steven Chabot.

Qualls has been a fighter for equality in the city that is home to the last remaining anti-gay city charter amendment, Issue 3—a stance that has not always been popular with her constituents.

However, we have a challenge for Qualls: It seems to be common knowledge that Qualls is a closeted lesbian. She has neither confirmed nor denied this. We offer Qualls our endorsement, but also challenge her to honor our community by coming out.

U.S. House, District 4

Paul McClain is running against Wayne Barnett of Bucyrus in the Democratic primary in this district, which covers north central Ohio from Mansfield to Lima. McClain is the preferred choice. He speaks about issues of equality as part of his campaign and has an openly gay campaign manager. McClain was endorsed by the Chronicle in 1996. The winner will face Republican incumbent Michael G. Oxley in November.

U.S. House, District 10

For District 10, which covers Cleveland's west side and suburbs, incumbent Dennis

Kucinich should be supported in the May 5 primary over his opponent, self-declared feminist and west side resident C. River Smith.

Kucinich has become a key to the passage of ENDA and has been one of our community's best friends on Capitol Hill. Joe Slovenec, who in his campaign literature says that he left his business in 1990 to devote himself full time to “Christian ministry and pro-life work," will be the Republican challenger in November.

U.S. House, District 11

Cuyahoga County prosecutor Stephanie Tubbs Jones gets our nod in the Democratic primary to fill the vacated seat of long-time incumbent and friend to the gay community Louis Stokes.

In this district, Cleveland's east side and inner suburbs, the Democratic primary winner will most likely win in November.

Stokes had a

, 100% rating

with the Human

ERIC RESNICK

Rights CamStephanie Tubbs Jones

paign and has done much to inform the black congressional caucus about gay issues, so his are some pretty big shoes to fill.

We believe there are other Democrats, such as State Sen. Jeffrey Johnson, who would represent us well, however, the edge goes to Tubbs Jones.

Other Democratic candidates Rev. Marvin McMickle, William Demora and Dale Virgil Blanchard will get their share of votesparticularly the popular McMickle-but Tubbs Jones has taken the time to reach out to the GLBT community, attending both the HRC dinner and a Meet the Candidates night sponsored by Stonewall Cleveland and the Log Cabin Club in the past few weeks.

U.S. House, District 13

Incumbent Sherrod Brown is unopposed in the Democratic primary in this gerrymandered district that includes Geauga, Medina and parts of Lorain, Portage and northern Summit counties. He will be the clear choice in November. Brown was the only representative from Ohio who voted against the illnamed "Defense of Marriage Act" last year.

In the Republican primary, State Sen. Grace Drake should be supported over her challengers, Kenneth C. Blair and Rick H. Jeric. Drake is by far the most moderate of the three, and she has a record of leadership supporting AIDS funding in the Ohio Senate.

U.S. House, District 14

Incumbent Tom Sawyer should be supported in this Akron district, which covers Summit and western Portage counties. Sawyer is one of two Ohio sponsors of ENDA (Youngstown's James Traficant is the other) and has always stood up for gay issues.

U.S. House, District 19

In the south and east Cleveland suburbs, civil rights activist and attorney Elizabeth Kelley deserves our support against her Democratic primary opponent Scott Miller to face GOP incumbent Steven C. LaTourette. Like Tubbs Jones, Kelley was also a visible presence at the HRC dinner as well as the Stonewall-Log Cabin Meet the Candidates night.

Ohio governor

For Ohio governor, the worthy candidate is former Ohio attorney general Lee Fisher. Fisher's main opposition in the Democratic primary, Bruce Douglas, recently dropped out of the race. Fisher and his running mate for lieutenant governor, Michael B. Coleman, will face the Republican team of Bob Taft (currently Ohio secretary of state) and Summit County prosecutor Maureen O'Connor for governor and lieutenant governor. As

attorney gen-

eral, Fisher supported our issues and was a leader of social progress and equality, as evidenced by a "friend of the

court" brief he

filed during

Cincinnati's Issue 3 case.

Lee Fisher

Ohio secretary of state

The candidate that we encourage support for is 22nd District State Rep. Charleta B. Tavares (D-southeastern Columbus). Tavares will face Mark A. Hanni of Youngstown in the May 5 primary to determine who will face Republican state treasurer J. Kenneth Blackwell on November 4. Tavares has a progressive social agenda and, as assistant minority leader of the Ohio House, worked to defeat H.B. 160-the bill making same-sex marriage illegal.

Ohio treasurer

For the treasurer seat being vacated by Blackwell, John Donofrio of Akron and former Cleveland City Council member Helen Knipe Smith both have a history of supporting the gay and lesbian community.

We didn't endorse Smith for mayor of Cleveland last November because of incumbent Michael White's pro-gay record. However, we feel she is also very supportive, and would make a capable treasurer of state. The winner of the May 5 primary will face Republican Joseph T. Deters in November.

Ohio Senate

Most Ohio Senate seats have no primary, but there are three with primaries where our choice is clear.

In the 21st District, which covers all of the east side of Cleveland, East Cleveland, and Cleveland Hts., our choice to fill the seat being vacated by State Senator Jeffrey Johnson, is District 8 State Rep. C.J. Prentiss. Prentiss is running against Nathaniel Martin in the May 5 primary.

In the 23rd District, west side of Cleveland, Lakewood, Brooklyn, and Fairview Park, our choice is Dan Brady.

And in the 25th District, which covers the outer east Cleveland suburbs, former U.S. representative and longtime friend to the community Eric Fingerhut should get our vote. Fingerhut's opposition on May 5 will be Thaddeus J. Jackson, Sonya RussellOgletree, and Georgine Coso Welo.

Ohio House

In Dayton's 42nd District, we support Joe Lacey, who is believed to be the only openly gay candidate in Ohio in 1998 and, if elected in November, would be the first openly gay state legislator in Ohio history. Lacey's opponent in November will be the winner of the Republican primary, which has three candidates: Bob Corbin, the incumbent, is challenged by Shirley Heintz, a former mayor of Centerville, and Bruce Moore, a popular evangelical minister.

For other Ohio House seats with primaries, we recommend:

James Trakas (R) in the 15th; which covers the far eastern Cleveland suburbs. As head of the Cuyahoga County Republican Party, Trakas has appointed openly gay and lesbian people to his central party committee.

Sally Conway Kilbane (R) in the 16th District, far western Cleveland suburbs including Westlake and North Olmsted.

Tony Cuda (D) in the 17th District; Lakewood and Cleveland wards 18 and 19. Larry Price in the 22nd District; southeast Columbus area

Thomas Seese in the 48th District; Akron

area.

Sam Metheny in the 57th District;

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Carroll County and rural parts of Mahoning County.

The results of the primary help determine the issues which will be discussed in November. With the increasing number of candidates willing to come to our events, be photographed with our leaders, and stand with us, it is clear that gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender Americans have the unique opportunity to determine our destiny. If we do not succeed, it will be because we did not do enough.

So on Tuesday, May 5, come out voting!

Doreen Cudnik, Brian DeWitt, Eric Resnick, John Farina, and Ian James contributed to this article.