Preliminary Results Show Election Victory for LGBT Equality in CA

PRELIMINARY RETURNS SHOW DECISIVE ELECTION VICTORY
FOR LGBT EQUALITY IN CALIFORNIA
Statewide Candidate Elections Prove California Primed to Win
Marriage Equality for Same-Sex Couples

SAN FRANCISCO - Based on preliminary returns, 3/4ths of the 48 Pro-Equality Legislative Candidates endorsed by Equality California's Political Action Committee (EQCA PAC) have been elected by their constituents confirming that California firmly supports pro-equality legislators. 5 of the 7 key swing legislative races targeted by EQCA-PAC as critical for LGBT equality were elected in their Districts - Senate race Christine Kehoe (San Diego) and Assembly races Ira Ruskin (Palo Alto), Pedro Nava (Santa Barbara), Betty Karnette (Long Beach) and Lori Saldana (San Diego). Patty Davis' race (San Diego) is too close to call yet, but her win would make 6 of the 7 EQCA-PAC endorsed key legislative races a win for pro-equality candidates who were running against anti-equality candidates.

All 6 of the LGBT candidates running for statewide office were elected by substantial margins - Senate race Christine Kehoe (San Diego) Sheila Kuehl (Los Angeles) and Carole Migden (San Francisco) and Assembly races Mark Leno (San Francisco), John Laird (Santa Cruz) and Jackie Goldberg (Los Angeles) further strengthening the LGBT Legislative Caucus.

These decisive returns forecast favorable results for the Marriage License Non-Discrimination Act, which will be reintroduced by joint authors Assembly Speaker Fabian Nunez and LGBT Caucus Chair, Assemblyman Mark Leno on December 6, 2004 which will grant same-sex couples access to civil marriage.

"These victories confirm that California supports candidates who support equality. Constituents have rewarded legislators who bring people together and rejected the far right wing's divisive brand of politics that attempts to use the LGBT community as a political football," stated Geoffrey Kors, Executive Director of Equality California. "Most of our endorsed candidates support EQCA-sponsored legislation by Assemblymember Mark Leno to end marriage discrimination, and none of the endorsed candidates opposed it. This is in stark contrast to many of their opponents who instead signed a discriminatory pledge to oppose any rights for same-sex couples."

"Historically California has led the nation in expanding civil rights protections to minorities and this issue is no exception," said Molly McKay, Assoc. Executive Director of Equality California. "Having over 4,000 same-sex couples married in San Francisco personally and profoundly affected many of our non-gay co-workers, families and friends. We see that sharing our stories and our lives is what makes all the difference to garnering support from the non-gay community. We will continue our educational campaign throughout the state and show the nation that we are stronger standing together rather than united."

The EQCA endorsed candidates elected to office include:



State Senate:

SD 02- CAROLE MIGDEN
SD 09- SENATOR DON PERATA
SD 11- ASSEMBLYMEMBER JOE SIMITIAN
SD 13- ELAINE ALQUIST
SD 23- SENATOR SHEILA KUEHL
SD 27- ASSEMBLYMEMBER ALAN LOWENTHAL
SD 39- ASSEMBLYMEMBER CHRISTINE KEHOE*

State Assembly:

AD 01- ASSEMBLYMEMBER PATTY BERG
AD 06- ASSEMBLYMEMBER JOE NATION
AD 07- NOREEN EVANS
AD 09- DAVE JONES
AD 12- ASSEMBLYMEMBER LELAND YEE
AD 13- ASSEMBLYMEMBER MARK LENO
AD 16- ASSEMBLYMEMBER WILMA CHAN
AD 18- JOHAN KLEHS
AD 20- ALBERT TORRICO
AD 21- IRA RUSKIN*
AD 22- ASSEMBLYMEMBER SALLY LIEBER
AD 24- ASSEMBLYMEMBER REBECCA COHN
AD 27- ASSEMBLYMEMBER JOHN LAIRD
AD 35- PEDRO NAVA*
AD 39- ASSEMBLYMEMBER CINDY MONTANEZ
AD 40- ASSEMBLYMEMBER LLOYD LEVINE
AD 42- ASSEMBLYMEMBER PAUL KORETZ
AD 45- ASSEMBLYMEMBER JACKIE GOLDBERG
AD 47- KAREN BASS
AD 48- ASSEMBLYMEMBER MARK RIDLEY-THOMAS
AD 49- ASSEMBLYMEMBER JUDY CHU
AD 50- HECTOR DE LA TORRE
AD 53- MIKE GORDON
AD 54- SENATOR BETTY KARNETTE*
AD 55- ASSEMBLYMEMBER JENNY OROPEZA
AD 58- ASSEMBLYMEMBER RON CALDERON
AD 76- LORI SALDANA*
AD 78- PATTY DAVIS* (Election still too close to call)

* = previously identified by EQCA as critical to the success of Marriage License Non-Discrimination Act.

For more information, please visit http://www.eqca.org.

Founded in 1998, Equality California is a nonprofit, nonpartisan, grassroots-based, statewide advocacy organization whose mission is to ensure the dignity, safety, equality and civil rights of all lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) Californians. Equality California is one of the largest and fastest growing statewide LGBT organizations in the country.



- 30 -