Victory fund endorses eleven new candidates

Tue, Aug 12th 2008, 10:59

 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Denis Dison (202) 842-7308, denis.dison@victoryfund.org

The Gay & Lesbian Victory Fund has endorsed 11 new candidates seeking public office. The candidates include Greg Rodriguez, who seeks a seat on the Palm Springs Unified School District Board of Education, and Keisha Waites, who is running for the Georgia State House.

After Hurricane Katrina devastated New Orleans in 2005, Keisha served on FEMA’s Katrina Long-Term Recovery Planning Team, traveling to the affected areas to observe the situation and help the people displaced by the storm. Active in many local community and civic based organizations, she is an executive board member of NAACP, a board member of the Atlanta Commission on Women, and a graduate of the Atlanta Leadership Institute. Keisha just made her way through a bruising primary fight and is now headed to a runoff election in August.  When she wins the runoff, Keisha will go unopposed in November and become the first openly lesbian African-American to be elected to a state legislature in the United States. 

Greg Rodriguez began working on his first campaign at the age of 13 when he helped his babysitter’s mother run for school board.  Since then he has helped with campaigns ranging from Patty Murray’s Senatorial campaign to Maria Cantwell’s Congressional campaign in the state of Washington.  Through his experience in those races, he became the chair of the King County Democratic Party. Coming to California with his partner of 13 years and two adopted children, it was only natural for Greg to get involved in the local community.  He joined the local PTA and helped with Sen. Hillary Clinton’s Presidential campaign. Greg faces a general election race with no incumbent.

The other candidates are:

• Dennis Barbour – Candidate for city commissioner of Rehoboth Beach, DE
• Ed Butler – Candidate for New Hampshire State House of Representatives
• Heather Carruthers – Candidate for county commissioner of Monroe County, FL
• Edward Flanagan – Candidate for Vermont State Senate
• Jamie McLeod – Candidate for Santa Clara, CA City Council
• Sara Orozco – Candidate for Massachusetts State Senate
• Jean Rietschel – Candidate for King County, WA Superior Court Judge
• Sue Schafer – Candidate for Colorado State House of Representatives
• Ed Zipprich – Candidate for Red Bank, NJ City Council