Replacing Gavin Newsom with Someone Even Gayer

categories: LGBT Politicians, State LGBT News

Published September 24, 2009 @ 06:56AM PT

Bevan Dufty

It's a pretty tall order to find someone more LGBT-friendly than Gavin Newsom, the term-limited San Francisco Mayor who is running for the Democratic nomination for Governor of California. But Bevan Dufty, an openly gay San Francisco Supervisor, has thrown his hat into the mayor's race -- a whole three years in advance -- and he's bringing some proven campaign strategists along with him. Most notably, Steve Hildebrand, the guy who engineered Obama's victory in the Iowa caucus.

Dufty told the SF Chronicle that he wants to be the city's grassroots candidate. And building the kind of grassroots support needed -- Dufty won't be accepting donations greater than $200 -- means starting early.

"I'm going to be a grassroots candidate and it's going to take a lot of time and a lot of shoe leather to reach out across the city," Dufty told the paper. If elected, Dufty would be San Francisco's first openly gay mayor, according to the BAR.

Dufty becomes the first candidate to announce, although several other city officials are expected to decide in the coming months (and years!).

Newsom, meanwhile, has picked up the endorsement of President Bill Clinton in his quest to become California's next governor, and became a father to a new baby girl last week. Talk about adding energy to a campaign!

(Photo courtesy of SF.Streetsblog.org)

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Comments (1)

It's good that Bevan Duffy is running for Mayor in San Francisco, a very progressive city when it comes to LGBT rights against some of the intolerance California voters did last year. It's also good that Gavin Newsom got an endorsement by Bill Clinton for governor in California. Since San Francisco has been a prominent city for LGBT rights, notably in the 1970s, an LGBT Mayor in San Francisco would represent that.

Posted by Edwin Bonilla on 09/24/2009 @ 02:33PM PT
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Michael is the Communications Director for the Human Rights Program at Harvard Law School, and previously was Communications Director for Pax Christi USA, a progressive Catholic human rights organization.