Mark Keam, the newly elected VA Delegate
Even as Republicans appeared to be sweeping Virginia’s statewide races, including for governor, lieutenant governor and attorney general, Democrat Mark Keam managed to pull out a narrow victory over his GOP opponent last night and won a seat on the House of Delegates. Keam, an attorney with Capitol Hill experience and active in Obama’s presidential campaign, won by 345 votes in the race to represent the 35th District in Northern Virginia. With all 19 precincts reporting, he earned 12,588 votes, or 50.65 percent, to rival James Hyland’s 12,245 votes, according to the Virginia State Board of Elections.
Kevin Kim, who was vying for a City Council seat in New York, did not fare as well, losing to Republican Dan Halloran, who won 53 percent of the vote to Kim’s 47 percent, according to results published in the Queens Courier early this morning.
Meanwhile, the referendum to repeal a Maine law allowing for same-sex marriage passed, following in the footsteps of California’s Proposition 8. On the positive side for the movement for same-sex couples’ rights, the state of Washington voted to preserve a state law that gives registered domestic partners the same rights, responsibilities and obligations of married couples. Residents of Kalamazoo, Michigan, also voted Tuesday to pass a highly contentious anti-discrimination ordinance that now will add sexual orientation and gender identity as protected groups. It will be illegal to discriminate against gay, lesbian and transgendered individuals in the areas of hiring, housing and public accommodation, according to the new ordinance.
Of course, some civil rights advocates have questioned how we can allow voters to decide on the rights of minorities. “Lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people have been spending precious time and money fighting for something the U.S. Constitution says they should already have, which is equal protection under the law,” said Flik Huang, 24, a straight woman and San Francisco resident who helped organize the National Equality March. “It’s time for the federal government to end the second-class status of LGBT Americans.”
How would we like it if people got to vote on whether Asian Americans were allowed to marry people of other races, or to be included in anti-discrimination laws? Some things shouldn’t be up for popular vote.
