NEWS
Gay vs. gay in Denver senate race GOP appoints Carr to face-off against Steadman By Nic Garcia No matter which major political party claims Colorado Senate District 31 in the November election, a gay man will represent those voters. For the first time in Colorado history, an out gay Republican will square off against an out gay Democrat for a seat at the state Capitol. A Republican vacancy committee on July 21 appointed Michael J. Carr to face-off against incumbent state Sen. Pat Steadman. Carr joins seven other out gay or lesbian candidates on the November ballot vying for a seat under the gold dome. Steadman’s former challenger, Brandon Kelley, ended his campaign earlier this summer. While most would consider the district a sure-bet for Steadman, Carr believes he’s the first viable Republican in years and will do better than most expect — if not win the seat outright. “The district has not been seriously contested in a very long time,” Carr said. “The voter data isn’t a real breakdown. Republicans and independents have not been given a real choice. I’m going to make a serious argument that they do.” State Senate District 31 stretches from central Denver into Glendale, the Denver Tech Center and parts of Aurora. While the map was dramatically redrawn during the redistricting process that takes place every 10 years, Democrats still make up 48 percent of registered voters, compared to the 30 percent that are registered Republicans. Another 20 percent of registered voters are unaffiliated. “This is not a district that is considered Republican friendly,” said Alexander Hornaday, an attorney consulting Carr on election law and finances. “But even if Michael doesn’t win, I’m excited to show my fellow Republicans that you can be a good Republican, a loyal Republican and a gay Republican.” Denver GOP Chairwoman Wendy Warner said she isn’t concerned with Carr’s sexual orientation. “Mr. Carr’s sexual orientation is not our focus,” she said. “Our focus needs to be on economic issues. Some big decisions have to be made next year and we need strong, prudent and fiscal conser-
Michael Carr, right, with his partner Fred Bachhuber at Denver PrideFest. Carr has been selected to run against state Sen. Pat Steadman. vatives in the state legislature.” Carr echoed Warner. “This district has been represented by a gay man or a lesbian for years,” he said. “Clearly these voters care about social issues. But now they’re going to be given a choice between two distinctly different candidates that both believe in equality.” Carr declined to go into detail about those differences but said his campaign would, in the coming weeks, roll out a series of positions and analyze Steadman’s voting record. Education reform, tax policy and jobs will most likely be on the top of his list of issues, Carr said. “There are three school systems in our district,” he said. “And two of the three are failing. There’s a lot of great [progress] across the country with charter schools and vouchers. Parents and students deserve more solutions from outside of the teachers’ union.” Warner said in her three decades of politics she’s seen Republicans win
State Sen. Pat Steadman Denver seats and she thinks with the right ground game it can happen again. “It’s not impossible,” she said. “It’s a good year for Republicans.” “I’m anxious to have candidates that are ready to run,” she continued. “It takes a lot of effort to be a Republican in Denver. It will take a lot of hard work, but I’ve heard Mr. Carr might be that type of person.” Carr, a native of Illinois, owns his own public relations business. He and his partner Fred Bachhuber formed a civil union there in January. Since moving to Colorado in 2011, Carr has taken an active
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role in Republican and LGBT politics including authoring a plank position in support of the Colorado Civil Union Act for the Denver Republican Party. The proposal won a majority vote, but fell short of the two-third majority needed to become an official position of the party. Carr, who has been a regular contributor to Out Front’s “Panel” series, also sits on the governing board of the National Log Cabin Republicans. Executive Director R. Clarke Cooper said while Carr isn’t the first out gay Republican to run for office, he certainly is apart of a growing trend. “The more the better,” Cooper said. “Carr’s race shows fellow Republicans — from the state level to the RNC — that we’re not just voters or potential donors, but real candidates.” Moreover, Carr’s candidacy may allow LGBT and allied voters with parallel concerns of equality and fiscal responsibility to vote Republican, Cooper said. He pointed to a CNN exit poll that showed support for the GOP in LGBT voters climbed three percent between 2008 and 2010. The state’s largest LGBT advocacy organization, One Colorado, said it was excited to hear about Carr’s potential candidacy but cautioned it has long been a supporter of Steadman’s. “We love to see LGBT people run for office,” said deputy director Jace Woodrum. “We need pro-equality legislatures on both side of the aisle. LGBT issues aside, Sen. Steadman is considered one of the state’s best lawmakers. He’s more than just that, he’s a statesman.” Nevertheless, Woodrum said his organization’s PAC would consider endorsing Carr like they do all candidates. “We’re looking forward to endorsing a bipartisan slate like we did in 2010,” he said. Steadman did not return requests for an interview by press time. He was first appointed to his seat in 2009 when out lesbian state Sen. Jennifer Veiga announced her resignation. Veiga moved to Australia with her partner. Prior to being appointed, Steadman was a lobbyist for Mendez Consulting. ]
AUGUST 1, 2012 | OUTFRONTONLINE.COM
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