First Openly Gay Senator? Congresswoman Tammy Baldwin to Run for Senate
Tammy Baldwin, the only openly gay woman and "most liberal member" of Congress, has announced she will run for the vacant Senate seat in Wisconsin left by retiring legislator, Herb Kohl.
In a video message sent to supporters, Baldwin, who will become the first Democrat to enter the Senate race, presented herself as a fighter for middle class families who will take on Wall Street and “big oil” as well as an early opponent of the Iraq war who has repeatedly called for troop withdrawals from Afghanistan.
Her voting record might cause alarm for some conservatives, however, as the conservative “National Journal” ranked Baldwin in a tie for most liberal member of the House in 2010, citing her advocacy for a single-payer health care system, same-sex marriage, embryonic stem-cell research, and women’s reproductive rights and health care.
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She is a favorite of pro-choice organization "Emily's List" which has raised over $1 million for Baldwin's previous congressional campaigns.
Despite potential for drawing ire from social conservatives as an openly gay, vehemently pro-choice candidate, the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel described Baldwin as a “political maverick” to her supporters.
"If you look at her career, people consistently underestimate her and she consistently surprises people," said state Rep. Cory Mason (D-Racine). "She has a real message that appeals to people's lives, how things affect them in the workplace, the doctor's office. She represents the interests of ordinary Wisconsin citizens."
Baldwin’s announcement comes one week after former Congressman Mark Neumann announced he will run for the Republican nomination. The possibility of a race between Baldwin and Neumann, who has been vocally anti-gay in the past, posits what could be an interesting political dichotomy in a politically unpredictable state.
In a 1996 interview with the New York Times, Neumann said, "If I was elected God for a day, homosexuality wouldn't be permitted."
A year later, the Milwaukee Examiner reported that Neumann told The Christian Coalition, "If somebody walks in to me and says, 'I'm a gay person, I want a job in your office,' I would say that's inappropriate, and they wouldn't be hired because that would mean they are promoting their agenda. The gay and lesbian lifestyle (is) unacceptable, lest there be any question about that."
Despite the stark differences on gay issues between Baldwin and Neumann, State Republicans said they plan to defeat Baldwin based on her record, not her sexual orientation.
"We look forward to the clear contrast this race will provide between an extreme Madison liberal versus a common-sense, pro-jobs and fiscally responsible Republican candidate," said Chris Bond, a spokesman for the National Republican Senatorial Campaign Committee.
Although Baldwin will become the first openly gay member of the senate if she wins in 2012, it would not be her first “first.” In 1998, she was the first woman and the first openly gay Democrat elected to represent Wisconsin in Congress.
Steve Gunderson, a Republican, was the first openly gay Congressman to serve the state of Wisconsin. He was elected in 1980 and served until 1997 but was not open until after being elected.
