California and New York gays voted for Hillary
Exit polling during Super Tuesday’s Democratic primaries in two key states found that a clear majority of gay, lesbian and bisexual voters supported Hillary Clinton.
The Advocate reports that in California, the most populous state in the US, 4% of voters told pollsters they are gay, lesbian or bisexual and 63% voted for the Former First Lady, with 29% voting for Barack Obama.
In New York, the only other state where voters were asked about their sexuality, 7% said they were LGB. 59% voted for Senator Clinton and 36% for Senator Obama.
John Edwards, who pulled out of the race late last month, won 1% and 3% of LGB votes in each state.
Democratic races on Tuesday, which took place in 21 states, American Samoa and among expatriate party members, the candidates are apportioned delegates based on how many votes they won.
Senator Clinton, 60, won eight states, including many with large populations and therefore a high number of delegates, among them the biggest of them all, California.
It is thought that Hispanic support was vital to her victory there. She took 70% of the Hispanic vote.
Senator Clinton also won in her home state of New York, New Jersey and Arkansas, where she was First Lady for 12 years.
46-year-old Barack Obama won his home state of Illinois and 12 others, among them some mid-Western states such as Kansas, Missouri and Minnesota.
These states, while they may not carry with them a large number of delegates, indicate that Mr Obama continues to appeal to white voters.
Despite taking 13 states to Senator Clinton’s eight, she won more delegates, because of the populations of the state where she took the lead.
On Saturday Louisiana, Nebraska, Washington state and the US Virgin Islands will hold their primaries and caucuses, followed by Maine the next day.
Next Tuesday is the so-called Beltway primary, when the states surrounding Washington DC, such as Maryland and Virginia, and DC itself, go to the polls.
