Shenandoah Valley Friends
Reprinted from: 
Friday, April 3, 1998
Lesbian to go Unchallenged in House Primary
Three open lesbians are running for United States Congress
by Kai Wright
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| Christine Kehoe is one of three open Lesbians vying to become the first openly Gay person to be elected to Congress. |
Openly Lesbian San Diego City Councilmember Christine Kehoe will go unchallenged in her bid to be the Democratic Party's nominee for the 1998 U.S. House race in California's 49th District. At the state's March 6 filing deadline, only Kehoe and Republican incumbent Brian Bilbray had registered with the Federal Election Commission as candidates for the seat.
The primary, for both the Democratic and Republican nominees, will be June 2. Kehoe said she considers the primary a "mini-face off" for the general election this fall.
As of the end of 1997, according to FEC records, Kehoe had raised just under $170,000 in campaign funds. Bilbray had raised almost $234,000. Kehoe said she does not plan to spend much of her money on pre-primary campaigning, noting that she plans to run an "old-fashioned field campaign" by taking to the streets to talk to voters.
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Margarethe Cammermeyer has raised over $42,000 for her race in Washington state. (by Clint Steib) |
Kehoe is one of three open Lesbians running for Congress in 1998. There has never been an openly Lesbian member of Congress. And, although a few Gay men have publicly disclosed their sexual orientation while serving in the House, no person has ever been elected to Congress for the first time as an openly Gay candidate.
In the two other House races involving openly Lesbian candidates:
- Retired Army colonel Margarethe Cammermeyer had raised just over $42,000 at the end of 1997. She officially declared her candidacy for Washington state's 2nd District seat in November. The state elections filing deadline for Washington is not until July 31, but currently Cammermeyer is the only person registered with the FEC for the Democratic primary. Republican incumbent Jack Metcalf, who also has yet to draw a challenger for the primary, had raised almost $196,000 at year's end.
- Wisconsin state Rep. Tammy Baldwin (D) already has two challengers for the state's 2nd District Democratic nominee. At the end of 1997, Baldwin had amassed a larger war chest than both her competitors, having raised over $250,000. Dane County Executive Rick Phelps was on Baldwin's heels however, having raised just over $200,000, while State Sen. Joe Wineke (D) trailed with $103,000. The winner of the Democratic nomination will challenge Republican incumbent Scott Klug, who must first defeat at least three challengers for his own party's re-nomination.
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