Gay man expected to become Congressman
Jared Polis is expected by the Gay & Lesbian Victory Fund to become the first ever out gay man elected to the U.S. Congress as a non-incumbent.
Polis won his Democratic primary and will now go on to a general election to represent Colorado’s second Congressional District in the House of Representatives.
As a Democrat in a predominantly Democratic area, Polis is expected to win.
Chuck Wolfe is president and CEO of the Lesbian & Gay Victory Fund which supports Polis’ campaign. He said:
‘Jared’s election is a victory for democracy.
‘Gay Americans are woefully underrepresented in our government.
‘Jared’s victory brings us one step closer to fulfilling America’s promise of a truly representative government.’
The Victory Fund endorses openly gay and lesbian political candidates, and is committed to increasing the number of gays and lesbians in office.
If elected, Polis will become the sixth openly gay person to serve in the House of Representatives.
Tammy Baldwin, a Democrat elected from Wisconsin in 1998, was the first out gay person to be elected to the U.S. House as a non-incumbent.
Fellow Democrat Barney Frank of Massachusetts announced he was gay in 1987 after having served several terms in the House.
Various representatives came out whilst servicing in the House, such as the late Gerry Studds, a Democrat of Massachusetts, former Congressman Steve Gunderson, a Republican from Wisconsin, and former Congressman Jim Kolbe, a Republican from Arizona.
No openly gay or lesbian person has yet been elected to the U.S. Senate.
