Will sexual orientation be an issue in R.I. Congressional race?
Roll Call’s Steve Peoples examines the question of sexual orientation in the race to fill Rep. Patrick Kennedy’s seat in Congress. Rhode Island’s 1st Congressional District will more than likely elect a Democrat, so the upcoming Democratic primary could be decisive.
Right now Providence Mayor David Cicilline is considered the frontrunner, and his campaign war chest dwarfs those of his rivals. He’s also won the endorsement of the Democratic Party, but will the fact that he’s openly gay hurt his chances?
Cicilline, who’s been elected twice while running as openly gay, says he doesn’t expect it to become an issue in the campaign.
“I think it is completely irrelevant to voters. I think it’s completely irrelevant to this campaign. I don’t think voters care about sexual orientation of candidates, at least in Rhode Island,” Cicilline told Roll Call.
But some observers say the campaign will have to be on the lookout for below-the-radar anti-gay tactics. Older voters and some moderates may be susceptible to anti-gay messaging from the supporters of Cicilline’s opponents, according to strategists.
Cicilline’s candidacy has drawn the attention of at least two national interest groups, the Gay and Lesbian Victory Fund and the Human Rights Campaign. Both have helped bundle campaign contributions for the mayor in recent weeks and are considering funneling more resources into the district before the primary on Sept. 14.
The HRC helped coordinate a July fundraiser for Cicilline in Philadelphia, while the Victory Fund recently helped arrange donor meetings in California.
“It’s exciting to see an openly gay candidate as the frontrunner,” HRC Political Action Committee Director Mike Mings said, noting that his organization would likely send “at least one staffer” to Rhode Island in the coming weeks to help coordinate field operations. “It’s uncommon to have someone in such a good position.”
Victory Fund President Chuck Wolfe, who has already visited Cicilline in Rhode Island multiple times this cycle, acknowledged that gay candidates regularly face bias across the country.
“It’s definitely going on, but it’s obviously less in New England,” he said. “But there is the church question: How strong is the Catholic church and how strong will any church influence be?”
The organizations have endorsed Cicilline and two other openly gay Congressional candidates this cycle.
The Victory Fund has endorsed three non-incumbent gay candidates running for the U.S. House of Representatives this year. If all three win, they would double the number of out members of Congress, joining incumbent Reps. Barney Frank, D-Mass., Tammy Baldwin, D-Wis., and Jared Polis, D-Colo, each of whom are also endorsed by the Victory Fund in their campaigns for reelection. It’s the group’s largest-ever slate of federal candidates.
Gov. Don Carcieri has vetoed a bill that would have expanded Rhode Island’s hate crimes laws to cover gender expression and identity, a move sought by the powerful anti-LGBT lobby the Family Research Council, which praised Carcieri’s decision.
A new
David Cicilline, the openly gay mayor of Providence, Rhode Island, has reported raising more than $700,000 since declaring his candidacy for the House seat being vacated by Rep. Patrick Kennedy (D-R.I.). ”We exceeded all of our expectations, and the energy behind this campaign is incredible,” Cicilline said in a letter to supporters.
