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