Rep. Mary Bono Mack, R-Calif., is set to debate Palm Springs Mayor Steve Pougnet tonight live on a local CBS affiliate KPSP.  The event marks the first time in 8 years Bono Mack has debated a general election opponent.

Pougnet, who is openly gay, is the Democratic nominee who will challenge Bono Mack this November.  If he wins, he’d be the first openly gay parent ever to win a seat in Congress.  Pougnet and his husband have two children.

“This debate will be a great opportunity for you and all of the residents of Riverside County to see the clear differences between me and my opponent. You’ll get to hear directly from us about where we stand on the issues that matter to you, and how we would work to solve the problems that face our nation and our district,” Pougnet said yesterday in an e-mail to supporters.

The one-hour debate will be streamed live online at KPSPlocal2.com beginning at 6:30 pm PDT, which is 9:30 pm in the East.

It stands to reason that LGBT Americans care about equality issues – partnership rights, employment non-discrimination and the repeal of “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell,” among others.  But what other political issues are important to us this year, and how do they stack up against the issues all Americans care about?

In its August 17th issue, Gay Politics Report asked more than 20,000 readers what, beyond LGBT issues, they were most interested in this election cycle.  Out of 10 possible choices, nearly 54% chose the economy and jobs as their top concern, mirroring the results of every national poll this summer.  Health care, the environment and immigration ranked #2, #3 and #4, which is also not dissimilar to national polling.  Issues polling below 5% in the reader poll included education, poverty, abortion, crime and terrorism.

Our reader poll is not scientific.  Respondents are Gay Politics Report subscribers who are probably more politically engaged than rank and file LGBT Americans, and they chose to participate in the poll.  Still, the results suggest that our community has a lot more in common with the average American than many would like to believe.  That common ground can be useful as we work to build support among allies and dispel myths about who we are.

The Washington state legislature is on track to maintain its 6-member caucus of openly LGBT lawmakers after Laurie Jinkins (pictured) advanced in her primary last night.  The Tacoma-area candidate could become Washington’s only openly lesbian lawmaker if she wins the general election this November to represent District 27 in the State House.

Also in Washington, State Sen. Joe McDermott garnered almost 60% of the vote in his primary race for a seat on the King County Council.  State Sen. Ed Murray and State Reps. Marko Llias, Jim Moeller, Dave Upthegrove and Jamie Pedersen also advanced in their reelection bids.

In Wyoming, State Rep. Cathy Connolly was unopposed in her primary race.

Some 50 openly LGBT candidates endorsed by the Victory Fund face primary races between now and the general election in November.  Stay tuned to Gay Politics for updates about key races as we head toward Election Day 2010.

U.S. Rep. Tammy Baldwin, D-Wis., today issued a call for openly LGBT elected, appointed and community leaders to convene in Washington, D.C. this December for the 26th International Gay & Lesbian Leadership Conference.

“I am honored to once again co-chair the Leadership Conference with my colleagues in the House, Reps. Barney Frank and Jared Polis,” Baldwin said.  ”The three of us stand together during some of the toughest fights in Congress for LGBT equality, but we’re also strengthened by the collective experience, wisdom and passion of the international network of out leaders who meet each year.”

The 2010 Leadership Conference will take place December 2 to 5 at the Mayflower Hotel in Washington, D.C.  At the event’s silver anniversary last December, more than 600 openly LGBT leaders from government, politics and non-profit groups who gathered in San Francisco heard from speakers such as Berlin, Germany Mayor Klaus Wowereit and John Berry, director of the U.S. Office of Personnel Management.  Reps. Baldwin and Polis also gave an update on LGBT issues in Congress.

“This conference is our family reunion – a place and time to reconnect and build relationships, to learn from each other and to share both our triumphs and challenges,” Baldwin said in an e-mail to out officials.

The Leadership Conference is a program of the Gay & Lesbian Leadership Institute.  For more information about the event, go here.

Photo:  Washington Post editorial writer Jonathan Capehart, Rep. Jared Polis, Rep. Tammy Baldwin, emcee Kate Clinton, and OPM Director John Berry at the 25th International Gay & Lesbian Leadership Conference.

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit has just issued its own stay of a lower court ruling in the federal Proposition 8 case, meaning same-sex couples will not be able to legally marry in California until an appeal of the decision in Perry v. Schwarzenegger is decided.

The news is a major setback for couples who were preparing to wed this Wednesday after 5 p.m., when U.S. District Court Judge Vaughn Walker’s temporary stay was to expire.

Still, today’s order also put the appeal on something of a fast track, with initial briefs due in mid-September.  Oral arguments are to be held the week of December 6 in San Francisco.  The court also said Prop 8 proponents must explain why they have standing to appeal Walker’s decision.