Gay Republican fights the odds
To say that Wes Fowler has fighting an uphill battle against Cook County Commissioner incumbent Bridget Gainer might be the understatement of the year. Not only is he a Republican in a primarily Democratic city, but he is openly gay—and he said that means facing ostracism within his own political party. In addition, he's running on a shoestring budget.
Windy City Times: It seems that you have quite the uphill battle. How do you assess your chances at beating your opponent?
Wes Fowler: I'm used to uphill battles: coming out, going through law school, etc. I think that my chances are pretty good against Bridget because she hasn't been campaigning that hard. She's been campaigning for mayor; she was interviewed on Fox. [ Note: Gainer addresses mayoral rumors in her interview. ] Besides, I know that we have a large number of reasonably prudent voters in our district; they are really concerned about our community.
WCT: What do you feel that she's not doing right?
Wes Fowler: I don't want to phrase it like that [ but ] when I think of her, I think of another [ Mayor Richard ] Daley appointee. I think she had the inside track when candidates met to become the new commissioner. I think she's just a cog in the Daley machine.
WCT: So it's not what she's done—it's who she is?
Wes Fowler: Not who she is—what she is. [ Laughs ] Her attendance at board meetings has been a little [ spotty ] , and there are issues that are important to us, like the red-light cameras—and she was absent for that vote. She has voted a lot of times with [ Commissioner Tony ] Peraica and [ Commissioner Elizabeth Doody ] Gorman [ who are both Republican ] . She's a good follower, but she's not a good leader.
Also, other press have tried to get a hold of her, but it's [ apparently ] hard to [ do so ] . I'm like, "I'm here all day. Call me day or night."
WCT: Really? I e-mailed her one day, and her press secretary got back to me the following day.
Wes Fowler: Maybe she thinks it's going to be [ an easy ] interview, because of liberal media bias.
WCT: OK. You recently posted something interesting on Facebook: "Chicago would vote for a peanut-butter sandwich if it was a Democrat."
Wes Fowler: Yes; there are a lot of people who are like that. One reason that it's an uphill battle [ for me ] is that a lot of Chicagoans are used to a Democratic mindset. They're used to, "This is Madigan's daughter so I have to vote for her." They haven't seen a lot of people who think differently, and who celebrate our differences—but you have to start somewhere.
WCT: But even within your own party, aren't you seen as someone who's "different from the mainstream?"
Wes Fowler: Absolutely. But here's the funny thing: Within the Cook County Republican Party, I'm seen as quite different—I can tell you that as a fact. Outside the party, when I went to national conventions and was being interviewed by Fox News Channel, people respected me and took what I had to say seriously. However, in this neck of the woods, you go to the cocktail party and a few people will roll their eyes.
But I can't focus on those people, and I can't focus on the liberals who will never vote for me. I have to focus on the independent voters, who really seem to thrive in my district, Boystown. Plus, I can think of a lot of different ways to cut the budget.
WCT: Give me one.
Wes Fowler: When the county contracts with outside businesses to do infrastructure, they always go through the labor unions, because it's protocol. Iowa has started contracting with folks and businesses that may not have an all-union workforce, and the income and efficiency have improved substantially.
In Illinois, they can't pay union pensions. Here in Cook County, the board just passed a bond in April for union obligations. It's nice to have job security, but it's not worth it if you're paying for it in IOUs. That's what California has been doing.
WCT: Have you spoken with Log Cabin Republicans, and have they endorsed you?
Wes Fowler: I have spoken with them. I don't know if they formally endorse anyone, but they do support me.
WCT: Would you say you're socially liberal and fiscally conservative?
Wes Fowler: I think I'm fiscally conservative and socially conservative, in the sense that I believe that family structure is important, regardless of the [ gender ] . I don't care if it's same-sex families or heterosexual ones. That would make me "liberal" to some Republicans.
WCT: Where do you fall on the marriage equality-civil union spectrum?
Wes Fowler: Oh, that's a great question! I absolutely am in favor of same-sex marriage and civil unions. What's good about Cook County is that it has the domestic-partner registry and I like the way it's written. What I don't like is that there's no teeth in it; it's purely symbolic. In a way, it's like they threw a bone to the gay and lesbian community.
Politics need to change. It needs to have more "uff da" behind it. If you're going to have domestic partnerships, they need to be same-sex only. From what I've read, heterosexual couples who go into these partnerships do it as a show of solidarity for their gay friends, or they do it because they consider it to be "pre-marriage."
I know it's wrong to discriminate based on sexual orientation, but if you're going to discriminate against homosexuals [ regarding ] marriage, we still deserve the exact same prize. If you don't call it "marriage," call it a peanut-butter sandwich—but we deserve the same respect and rights.
WCT: People are also voting for Cook County board president, of course? Do you feel [ Republican candidate ] Roger Keats should win?
Wes Fowler: I think Keats would be a better president than Preckwinkle because, one, the whole Daley machine thing and Preckwinkle is already assuming she's going to win. I wonder where that mentality comes from.
I think that Roger Keats is not getting a fair shake because he is a Republican and because the news teams don't really know about him. He's been really active in the Black community. He does a lot of reaching-out that doesn't get publicized—and I think that's awful. However, because of a lack of money on our end, we have to do whatever we can.
WCT: It's interesting to hear you talk about a lack of money because there is the stereotype that if you are a Republican, you're financially loaded.
Wes Fowler: I'll tell you something: When I first moved here, I volunteered with ACTIve, and it morphed into Equality Illinois. Somebody gave me a ride home once, and it struck me that he was going out in a giant fur coat to his Mercedes.
WCT: Have you talked with the Gay & Lesbian Victory Fund?
Wes Fowler: Yes; I talked with them in February. They said, "That's fine. Give us a check from your campaign fund, and we can start donations for you." I can't seem to get the minimum balance together.
WCT: Is there anything else you want to say?
Wes Fowler: Think for yourself. Vote for the candidate, not the campaign. Don't be a lemming.
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