Seven Black Gay and Lesbian Candidates Seek Office on Nov. 3

Simone Bell – Candidate for Georgia General assembly, House District 58

www.simonebell.com

 

If elected, Simone stands to become the first openly lesbian African American ever to win election to a state legislature.

 

“I’m a community organizer and activist at heart,” said Simone Bell, candidate for the Georgia House of Representatives. “No matter what position I’ve held I’ve always approached it as an advocate, offering myself as a voice of the people.”

For more than 20 years, Simone has worked as an activist and advocate in Atlanta and across the south. She has tackled a broad range of issues including workplace equality, access to affordable healthcare, fighting HIV/AIDS stigma and discrimination, safe schools for all children, youth empowerment and women’s issues.

As the representative for Georgia’s 58th district, Simone will bring her experience working across broad coalitions to the Georgia House. She’s eager to communicate with her constituents about the important decisions facing their area and work with them to provide the best outcome possible.

“I’m passionate about taking overwhelming and complex information and making it accessible to the people whom it will affect most, that they might make informed choices about their everyday lives,” she said.

Simone has extensive credentials as an advocate for the LGBT community, which will serve her well when she represents several high-density LGBT areas in her district. She is a former community educator for Lambda Legal’s southern region office, and has also worked at the Atlanta Lesbian Health Initiative. Furthermore, she has participated in ADORE, a college based organization developed to support LGBT students of color at Agnes Scott College, as well as ZAMI, Atlanta’s premier organization for Lesbians of African descent.
 
If elected, Simone stands to become the first openly lesbian African American ever to win election to a state legislature. Help her make history with a contribution to her campaign.

Keisha Waites – Candidate for Atlanta City Council, District 12

www.keishawaites.com

 

A life-long native Atlanta resident, Keisha has dedicated much of her life to public service as a community advocate in district 12 where she was reared and continues to reside in her childhood home.  She is concerned just like everyone else about the growing violet crime rates and slumping economy. Working for both the Small Business Administration (SBA) and the Department of Homeland Security (FEMA), she has gained hands on experience critical to tackling issues like public safety and fiscal management that are major challenges for the City of Atlanta.

 

In 2005, following the worst disaster in U.S. history, Hurricane Katrina, the Department of Homeland Security (FEMA) invited Keisha to join a team of experts from around the country to form the Hurricane Katrina Long-Term Recovery Planning Team. Keisha was directly involved in tough issues including economic development, transportation, and public safety.

 

At FEMA, Keisha served as a Congressional Affairs Liaison responsible for working with Members of Congress and their staff in addressing congressional concerns following federally declared disasters. After college, Keisha gained insider knowledge of mortgage lending laws and consumer finance while working for a major lending institution. Her greatest accomplishments include assisting hundreds of homeowners with the American dream of homeownership. At the Small Business Administration, Keisha facilitated loans to many small businesses to help them grow, create new jobs and nourish the economy. During her tenure with SBA, Keisha formed relationships and gained professional expertise that provided her with a superior understanding of the needs of small and large business owners while balancing those needs with residential communities. 

A product of public schools, Keisha was raised by a single-parent mother who instilled the values of hard work and public service. After graduating from nationally recognized school of excellence Lakeside High School, Keisha would head south to study political science at Georgia Southern University. During her freshman year in college, she was chosen among a global pool of candidates to participate in the Walt Disney World International College Intern Program.  Homegrown Keisha is a grady baby and continues to reside in her childhood home in Perkerson Park.

 

Active in many local community and civic based organizations, Keisha is a board member of the Atlanta Commission on Women, a graduate of the Atlanta Leadership Institute, a former Post Seat Holder in District 61, and a former board member of the National Women’s Political Caucus-Atlanta Chapter. Keisha is an eighth-generation Atlantan raised by a single-parent mother who instilled the values of hard work and public service. This unique is experience will allow Keisha to make an immediate and significant impact at City Hall.

 

 

Eric Morrow – Candidate for East Point City Council, Ward B At-Large

www.electricmorrow.blogspot.com

 

As a successful attorney and a concerned citizen, the greater Atlanta community has already placed substantial trust in Eric Morrow. Now, he hopes that the public will continue its trust in him with a seat on the East Point City Council.

Throughout his career, Eric has worked as an assistant solicitor in Dekalb County, assistant district attorney in Newton County and an associate city attorney for the city of Atlanta. During his time as associate city attorney he defended the city and its employees from a civil suit brought by anti-abortion protesters who blocked access to the Feminist Women’s Health Center and harassed its patrons. Currently, he serves as a mayoral appointee to the city’s Ethics Review Board. He is a former member of the city’s Ethics Review Taskforce and a member of the Jefferson Park Neighborhood association.

If elected, Eric plans to lay the foundation for the future of East Point by improving the efficiency of city services and fostering economic development.

“I will work to attract smart growth and businesses that will help ease the tax burdens on individual residents,” he said. “We have a treasure of industrial and commercial space that goes unused. We must market our city treasures and I will work hard to make this happen.”

Eric boasts an impressive resume, including two undergraduate degrees from Emory University, a master’s degree from the University of New York at Stony Brook and a law degree from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

Eric has already amassed a strong coalition of support, including sitting city councilmembers Earnestine Pittman and Lance Rhodes, who is openly gay.

Eric is challenging a thirteen-year incumbent, so he will need to raise a significant amount of money to win this seat. Please make a donation to his campaign today.

 

 

Charles Pugh – Candidate for City Council - Detroit, MI

www.pughforcouncil.com

 

Detroit trusts Charles Pugh.

 

Having been born and raised in the city, Charles has earned the respect of his community as a local newscaster for more than ten years. Also, his weekend radio show has become the most listened-to talk radio show in the city. As he seeks the opportunity to serve his city on the Detroit City Council, Charles stands to make history as the first openly gay person elected to the body.

 

Charles has secured the endorsement of outgoing city councilwoman Sheila Cockrel, who has announced that she thinks Charles is the best person to replace her. With his high name recognition and strong community ties, he stands a great chance to rise up among a crowded field of candidates for the city council.

 

In a city with a strongly anti-gay voting record, Charles’ candidacy presents a rare opportunity to elect an openly gay candidate based on his abilities and commitment to his city. Having lived openly and honestly for years, Detroit residents know and respect Charles as a person – he hopes to heighten that respect by working on behalf of his constituents on the city council.

 

If Charles is elected, he will become the first openly LGBT person elected to this top 50 U.S. city.

 

 

Rob Holland - Candidate for Port Commissioner - Seattle, WA

www.robforport.com

 

Because of its unique location, the Port of Seattle plays a leading role in bringing international trade, transportation and travel to the Pacific Northwest. As a green energy professional, Rob Holland has the experience and the expertise to provide innovative leadership to the Port Commission.

 

In office, Rob plans to invest in infrastructure that will create family-wage jobs, to create an open government process, and to clean up Elliott Bay and the Duwamish River.

 

“When elected, I will be a strong voice for increasing the Port's role as a creator of green-collar and family-wage jobs and investing in infrastructure that will make the Port competitive, now and into the future,” Rob said.

 

Rob’s occupational experience with seaports, the shipping industry and industrial real estate will ensure that the Port of Seattle remains the most efficient of West Coast ports. He is the only candidate in the race with diverse, hands-on port experience, which makes him uniquely qualified to bring accountability to the Commission and renew its focus on job creation, community protection and environmental stewardship.
 
Rob is a recipient of the Rodney Slater Transportation Award for African Americans involved in the port and transportation industry.

 

If Rob wins his election, he will become the first African American and first openly gay member of the Seattle Port Commission.

 

 

Denise Simmons - Candidate for Councilmember - Cambridge, MA

www.denise-simmons.org

 

As the first African American lesbian elected mayor in the United States, Denise has played an important role in the march toward equality.  But her place in history is trumped only by the leadership she brings to the City of Cambridge. 

A lifelong Cambridge resident, Denise is a member of the National Committee on Youth, Families and Education and Human Development Committee, the Massachusetts Democratic State Committee, the Massachusetts Municipal Association, and the NAACP. In addition to working as an insurance broker and small business owner, Denise is a Justice of the Peace and often performs marriages of same-sex couples.

Denise is a strong advocate for LGBT rights. During her time on the council, she spearheaded the first ever LGBT town meeting and helped create an ordinance to establish and maintain an LGBT city commission with paid staff. She also created a liaison position in the schools to help LGBT parents find LGBT-friendly schools for their children.

 

Ken Reeves - Candidate for Councilmember - Cambridge, MA

www.kenreeves.org

 

Cambridge City Councilman and two-time mayor Ken Reeves achieved milestones through his service to the city, becoming the first openly gay African American mayor in the nation in 1992.

Having served on the city council since 1989, Ken knows how to get things done on the city council. Ken’s accomplishments include starting the city’s first tourism office, serving as principal co-sponsor of the city’s domestic partner ordinance and consistently supporting affordable housing and immigrant rights.

As the chair of the city’s Economic Development Committee, Ken takes the livelihood of his community seriously. During his term as mayor, he led the revitalization of Cambridge’s Central Square. As a result of his work and substantial investment by the city, Central Square underwent a transformation that allowed it to grow into a bustling area for business and culture.

Throughout his career, Ken has supported the local LGBT community. He founded the Boston chapter of Men of Color Against AIDS as well as Cambridge’s wing of Men of Color Health Taskforce.  He also founded the Gay and Lesbian Elected Officials Caucus of the National League of Cities.

He is a cum laude graduate of Harvard College and a graduate of the University of Michigan Law School.

Since Cambridge’s entire city council is elected at-large in the same election, Ken needs to campaign hard for every term in office. Help this nationally-known openly gay public servant continue to shine as an example of a strong leadership in Massachusetts.

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