Equality PA Endorses Candidates
Equality Pennsylvania has this week endorsed its candidates in the 2012 General Election. “We have candidates we are supporting from across the state, from the big cities to the rural center, and all of these people, if elected, will be strong advocates for the LGBT community,” says Adanjesus Marin, chair of the organization’s 501c4 board. “We urge all our members to vote for these exceptional candidates.”
Philly's Brian Sims is set to become PA's first openly gay legislator - he faces no opposition on Nov. 6
Four of the candidates are members of the LGBT community, including Jeff Dahlander (Susquehanna, Wayne, Wyoming), Chris Dietz (Dauphin), Kelly Jean McEntee (Dauphin) and Brian Sims (Philadelphia County). It should be noted that Pennsylvania has never had an openly gay state legislator – so next month’s election will be history making, especially since Sims faces no opposition.
“We cannot discount the impact of a member of our community at the legislative table in Harrisburg,” says Ted Martin, Equality PA’s executive director. “LGBT Pennsylvanians will benefit greatly from the election of these four out candidates in November.”
Having an openly gay or lesbian legislator who supports full equality for all Pennsylvanians would be a big step for the fate of LGBT rights in the state.
“We are particularly pleased to endorse three statewide candidates who endorse full equality, including in marriage, for the LGBT community,” says Adrian Shanker, Equality PA president. “This is representative of the majority support among Pennsylvanians for marriage equality and it is something we are very happy to see. We commend Treasurer Rob McCord, Kathleen Kane and Eugene DePasquale for running on an equality platform during their statewide campaigns and helping us to advance the message of equality throughout the state.”
Equality Pennsylvania also reiterated its support for the Obama/Biden ticket since President Obama is the first sitting President to endorse marriage equality and during his first term. He also signed the Mathew Shephard Hate Crimes Law, the repeal of “Don’t Ask Don’t Tell,” and he’s guaranteed hospital visitation rights for same-sex couples, and instituted a landmark housing non-discrimination regulation for all HUD housing.
Here are the endorsements:
Barack Obama – D, Incumbent, President of the United States of America
Joe Biden, Incumbent – D, Vice President of the United States of America
Eugene DePasquale – D, Auditor General of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
Kathleen Kane – D, Attorney General of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
Rob McCord – D, Incumbent, Treasurer of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
Central Pennsylvania:
Eugene DePasquale – D, Incumbent, Pennsylvania House – District 95 (York)
Chris Dietz – D, Pennsylvania House – 104th District (Dauphin)
Patty Kim – D, Pennsylvania House – 103rd District (Dauphin)
Dan Knorr – D, Pennsylvania House – 109th District (Columbia)
Kelly Jean McEntee – D, Pennsylvania House – 105th District (Dauphin)
Harry Perkinson – D, U.S. Congress – 4th District (Adams, Cumberland, Dauphin, York)
Linda Small – D, Pennsylvania House – 93rd District (York)
Sarah Speed – D, Pennsylvania House – 47th District (York)
Gene Stilp – D, U.S. Congress – 11th District (Carbon, Cumberland, Dauphin, Luzerne, Northumberland, Perry)
Rob Teplitz – D, Pennsylvania Senate – 15th District (Dauphin, York)
Lehigh Valley and Northeast:
Leslie Altieri – D, Pennsylvania House – 138th District (Northampton)
Matt Cartwright – D, U.S. Congress – 17th District (Carbon, Lackawanna, Luzerne, Monroe, Northampton, Schuykill)
Jeff Dahlander – D, Pennsylvania House – 111th District (Susquehanna, Wayne, Wyoming)
Kevin Deely – D, Pennsylvania House – 131st District (Lehigh, Northampton)
Joseph Haas – D, Pennsylvania House – 187th District (Berks, Lehigh)
Mark Rozzi – D, Pennsylvania House – 126th District (Berks)
Michael Schlossberg – D, Pennsylvania House – 132nd District (Lehigh)
Judy Schwank – D, Incumbent, Pennsylvania Senate – 11th District (Berks)
Philadelphia and Southeast:
Beth Alois – D, Pennsylvania House – 168th District (Chester, Delaware)
Bret Binder – D, Pennsylvania House – 156th House District (Chester)
Sheamus Bonner – D, Pennsylvania House – 163rd District (Delaware)
Kathryn Boockvar – D, U.S. Congress – 8th District (Bucks, Montgomery)
Michelle Brownlee – D, Incumbent, Pennsylvania House – 195th District (Philadelphia)
Mary Jo Daley – D, Pennsylvania House – 148th District (Montgomery)
Madeleine Dean – D, Incumbent, Pennsylvania House – 153rd District (Montgomery)
Kelly Devine – D, Pennsylvania House – 150th District – (Montgomery)
Paul Drucker – D, Pennsylvania House – 157th District – (Chester, Montgomery)
Larry Farnese – D, Incumbent, Pennsylvania Senate – 1st District – (Philadelphia)
Joseph Frederick – D, Pennsylvania House – 143rd District (Bucks)
Vincent Hughes – D, Incumbent, Pennsylvania Senate – 7th District (Montgomery, Philadelphia)
Daylin Leach – D, Incumbent, Pennsylvania Senate – 17th District (Delaware, Montgomery)
Steve McCarter – D, Pennsylvania House – 154th District (Montgomery, Philadelphia)
Mark Painter – D, Pennsylvania House – 146th District (Montgomery)
Allyson Schwartz – D, Incumbent, U.S. Congress – 13th District (Montgomery, Philadelphia)
Brian Sims – D, Pennsylvania House – 182nd District (Philadelphia)
Will Sylianteng – D, Pennsylvania House – 151st District (Montgomery)
Manan Trivedi – D, US Congress – 6th District (Berks, Chester, Lebanon, Montgomery, Chester)
Western Pennsylvania:
Missa Eaton – D, U.S. Congress – 3rd District (Armstrong, Butler, Clarion, Crawford, Erie, Lawrence, Mercer)
Harriet Ellenberger – D, Pennsylvania House, 59th District (Somerset, Westmoreland)
Dan Frankel – D, Incumbent, Pennsylvania House, 23rd District (Allegheny)
Erin Molchany – D, Pennsylvania House – 22nd District (Allegheny)
Jason Owen – R, Pennsylvania House – 3rd District (Erie)
Mark Scappe – D, Pennsylvania House – 44th District (Allegheny)
Sean Wiley – D, Pennsylvania Senate – District 49 (Erie)
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