Chronology for Out and Elected in the USA

Out and Elected in the USA: 1974-2004

Notes: • Arranged chronologically by date first elected, then alphabetically within state.

• Elections occurred in November unless otherwise noted.

1961

California

• Sarria, José, First openly gay person to run for elected office in the US, San Francisco – bid was unsuccessful

1974

Massachusetts

   * Noble, Elaine (D), State Representative, 6th District, Boston 

1976

Minnisota

   * Spear, Allan (D), came out in 1974, re-elected State Senator, 60th District 

1977

California

   * Milk, Harvey, Board of Supervisors, San Francisco

1978

New Hampshire

   * Trombly, Rick (D), State House of Representatives, Boscawen 

1979

New Hampshire

   * Splaine, Jim (D), came out in 1979 after service on City Council, elected to School Board, Portsmouth 

1980

California

   * Lachs, Stephen, Los Angeles Superior Court Judge, Los Angeles, June

1982

New York

   * Duane, Thomas (D), Democratic District Leader

1984

Massachusetts

   * Studds, Gerry E. (D), outed in 1983, re-elected to the U.S. House of Representatives 10th District, Boston 

1985

California

   * Laird, John (D), City Council, Santa Cruz

New York

   * Mains, Tim, Council Member at-Large, Rochester 

1986

Louisiana

   * Batson, Roberts, Orleans Perish Democratic Executive Committee, February 

New Hampshire

   * Buckley, Raymond (D), State Representative Ward 8, Manchester 

Wisconsin

   * Baldwin, Tammy (D), Dane County Board of Supervisors, Madison, April 

1987

California

   * Brougham, Tom, Director, Peralto Community College District Board, April

North Carolina

   * Herzenberg, Joe, came out gradually 1981-85, elected Town City Council, Chapel Hill

1988

California

   * Katz, Leslie, San Francisco Democratic County Central Committee

Massachusetts

   * Frank, Barney (D), came out in 1987, re-elected to the U.S. Representative, 4th Congressional District, Boston

Washington

   * Anderson, Cal (D), House of Representatives, District 42, Seattle 

1989

New York

   * St. John, Keith, Common Council Alderman 2nd Ward, Albany 

1990

California

   * Achtenberg, Roberta, Board of Supervisors, San Francisco
   
   * Ammiano, Tom, School Board, San Francisco

   * Giuliano, Neil (R), City Council, Tempe

   * Hahn, Kenneth, Los Angeles County Assessor, Los Angeles County

   * Migden, Carole (D), Board of Supervisors, San Francisco

Maine

   * McCormick, Dale, State Senate

New York

   * Glick, Deborah (D), Assemblymember District 66, New York City 

1991

California

   * Horton, Jeff, Los Angeles Board of Education President, Los Angeles

Texas

   * Maxey, Glen (D), State Representative, District 51, March Special Election 

Washington

   * Harris, Sherry, Council Member At-Large, Seattle 

1992

California

   * Yeager, Ken, San Jose/Evergreen Community College Trustee

New Mexico

   * Stephanics, Liz (D), State Senate District 39 

Oregon

   * Brown, Kate (D), House of Representatives, District 13, Portland 

South Carolina

   * Schwacke, David (R), Solicitor 9th Circuit, Charleston 

Vermont

   * Flanagan, Edward (D), State Auditor, Burlington 

1993

California

   * Kehoe, Christine (D), City Council, San Diego

Maryland

   * Williams, Bruce, City Council, Tacoma Park 

Massachusetts

   * Higgins, Mary Clare, City Council, Northampton 

   * Reeves, Kenneth, came out December 1992, re-elected to the City Council, Cambridge 

   * Triatanfillou, Katherine, City Council, Cambridge 

Michigan

   * Kolb, Chris (D), City Council, Ann Arbor

   * Cuthbert, Pam, City Council, Ward 3, Ypsilanti, April 

New York

   * Shafer, Marilyn, Manhattan Civil Court Judge 

   * Stewart, Daniel (R), City Council, Plattsburgh 

North Carolina

   * Nelson, Michael, Board of Alderman, Carrboro 

1994

California

   * Dumanis, Bonnie (R), Municipal Court Judge, Dan Diego

   * Kuehl, Sheila (D), State Assembly, District 41, Santa Monica 

   * Leal, Susan, Board of Supervisors, San Francisco

   * Pettis, Gregory, City of Cathedral County

Illinois

   * Chiola, Tom, Cook County Circuit Court Judge, Chicago 

New Hampshire

   * DeChane, Marlene (D), State Representative District 6, Barrington 

New Mexico

   * Bushee, Patti, City Council, Santa Fe 

Oregon

   * Carpenter, Chuck (R), State Representative District 7, Portland 

   * Eighmey, George (D), State Representative 
 
   * Gernant, David, Multnomah County District Court Judge 

Washington D.C.

   * Sojourner, Sabrina (D), At-Large Seat, Central Democratic Committee, May 

Wisconsin

   * Gunderson, Steve (R), outed in 1994

re-elected to the U.S. House of Representatives

1995

California

   * Zeidler, Zeke, Redondo Beach School Board, March

Connecticut

   * Zemo, Stephen, Town of Ridgefield Selectman

Florida

   * Sigler, Victoria, Dade County Court Judge, January 

Iowa

   * Crews, Bill, came out in 1993, re-elected Mayor, City of Melbourne 

New York

   * Kavanaugh, Barbra, City Council, Buffalo 
   
   * Lopez, Margarita, Female Democratic District Leader, 63rd Assembly District (B), New York, September 

Rhode Island

   * Cicillini, David, House of Representatives, Providence 

Washington

   * Moeller, Jim (D), City Council, Vancouver 

   * Podlodowski, Tina, City Council Member, Seattle 

Wisconsin

   * Verveer, Mike, Common Council, Madison, April

1996

Arizona

   * Kolbe, Jim (R), came out July 1996, re-elected to the U.S. House of Representatives, 5th Congressional District, Tucson

California

   * McCarthy, Kevin, Superior Court Judge, San Francisco

  * Owens, Juanita, President Board of Education, San Francisco 

   * Radulovich, Tom, Bay Area Rapid Transit District Board, San Francisco 

   * Tsenin, Kay, Municipal Court Judge, San Francisco 

Florida

   * Leban, Mark, Dade County Court Judge, September 

Illinois

   * Patti, Sebastian , Cook County Circuit Court Judge 

   * McKeon, Lawrence (D), State House of Representatives, 34th District, Chicago 

Maine

   * Powers, Judy (D), State Representative 

New York

   * Robinson, Doug, School Board District 2, New York 

   * Sauer, Larry, School Board District 3, New York 

Rhode Island

   * Pisaturo, Michael (D), State Representative 21st District, Cranston 

Texas

   * Frasier, Margo, Sheriff of Travis County, Austin 

Washington

   * Murray, Ed (D), House of Representatives 43rd District, Seattle 

1997

Arizona

   * May, Steve (R), State Representative, 26th District, Phoenix

California

   * Weinberger, Bill, Charter Commission, Los Angeles, June

Georgia

   * Woolard, Cathy, Atlanta City Council, District 6 

New Mexico

   * Siegle, Linda, Santa Fe Community College Board of Trustees 

New York

   * Conti, Richard, City Council, Albany 

   * Quinn, Christine, Speaker, City Council, New York

   * Reed, Phil, City Council Member District 8, New York 

Ohio

   * Escobar, Louis, City Council President, Toledo 

   * Wiseman, Mary, City Council Member, Dayton 

Pennsylvania

   * McGill, Jim, Borough Council Member 2nd Ward, Wilkinsburg 

Texas

   * Parker, Annise, City Council Member At-Large Position 1, Houston, December 

Texas

   * Loza, John, City Councilmember District 12, Dallas, May

Virginia

   * Fisette, Jay, Arlington County Board Member, Arlington 

Washington, D.C.

   * Catania, David, At-Large Councilmember, December Special Election

1998

California

   * del Moral, Rosalinda, Democratic Executive Committee 13th District, San Francisco, June

Connecticut

   * Mantilla, Evelyn (D), came out in June 1997, re-elected to the State House of Representatives, District 4, Hartford

Maryland

   * Stradauskas, Anne, Baltimore County Sheriff 

Massachusetts

   * Barrios, Jarrett (D), State Representative, District 28, Middlesex 

   * Malia, Liz (D), State Representative, 11th Suffolk, March

New Hampshire

   * Mitchell, McKim (D), State Representative District 3, Chesterfield 

Utah

   * Biskupski, Jackie (D), State Representative District 30, Salt Lake City 

Washington, D.C.

   * Graham, Jim, Councilmember Ward 1 

1999

Florida

   * Arnold, Diane, Broward County Dem. Exec. Committee, May 

New York

   * Sklarz, Melissa, Democratic Council, New York, September

Wisconsin

   * Sloan, Matt, Common Council, Madison, April 

2000

Florida

   * Lee, Robert, Broward County Court Judge, September 

   * Wiscombe, Randy G., City Council, South Miami 

Two spaces beween paragraphs.

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