Gay Colorado Politician Heads Toward Election Milestone

Posted on August 27, 2008
Filed Under Gay News Blog

The success, so far, of Jared Polis’ run for Congress underscores how far voters have come in looking beyond sexual orientation.
n 2000, after being elected to the Colorado State Board of Education, Internet entrepreneur and philanthropist Jared Polis saw up-close the failure of public schools to meet the needs of new immigrant and homeless young people.

Tapping into the inventiveness that made him rich in the e-commerce world, Polis founded two charter schools for immigrant and homeless youth, and spearheaded the passage of a state constitutional amendment to prevent cuts to K-12 education.

But despite such successes in his 20s, Polis felt the high-stakes problems he most wanted to solve — troubled public education, unaffordable health care and a threatened global environment — couldn’t be solved from his home in Boulder.

So, when local Democratic U.S. Rep. Mark Udall decided to run for U.S. Senate, the openly gay Polis decided to run for Congress.

On Aug. 12, confirming a Denver Post headline — “Being gay not hindering Polis’ race” — Polis won the primary. All three Democrats supported gay marriage.

“While I enjoyed worked on educational and environmental issues in the state, I really feel most of the issues we face are national in scope, and it’s at the national level that we’ll fail or succeed as a country,” says Polis, 33.

Polis is expected to be elected in the solidly Democratic district in November. That would make him the first openly gay man to win a seat in Congress as a non-incumbent.

Rising star Rep. Tammy Baldwin, D-Wis., broke the glass ceiling in 1998 because she was already out before winning her congressional seat. Rep. Barney Frank, D-Mass., is the only other out member of Congress right now and chairs the House Financial Services Committee.

Currently, there are 424 out lesbian, gay male, bisexual or transgender (LGBT) elected officials, according to the Victory Fund.

Other key races to watch: @ Gay Colorado Politician Heads Toward Election Milestone

AlterNet, CA