Windy City Media Group Frontpage News

THE VOICE OF CHICAGO'S GAY, LESBIAN, BI, TRANS AND QUEER COMMUNITY SINCE 1985

home search facebook twitter join
Gay News Sponsor Windy City Times 2023-12-13
DOWNLOAD ISSUE
Donate

Sponsor
Sponsor
Sponsor

  WINDY CITY TIMES

ELECTIONS 2020 Guide to the LGBTQs
2020-03-03

This article shared 9448 times since Tue Mar 3, 2020
facebook twitter pin it google +1 reddit email


This year's primary elections will feature a record number of openly LGBT candidates throughout Illinois. The list includes:

1. Karla Bailey-Smith

Race: Illinois state representative ( 88th District )

Website: Unite88.org

The skinny: Bailey-Smith was born in Greencastle, Indiana. She earned an undergraduate degree at Illinois Wesleyan University in 1990 and a graduate degree from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign in 1993. Bailey-Smith's career experience includes working as a painter and scenic artist.

2. Deidre Baumann

Race: Cook County Circuit Court ( C. Sheehan vacancy )

Website: DeidreForJudge.com .

The skinny: Baumann has more than 25 years representing people against the government and large corporations, and was lead counsel in the Burr Oak Cemetery litigation. She is currently president of the Suburban Bar Coalition, and serves on the boards of directors for the Lesbian and Gay Bar Association of Chicago and for the Decalogue Foundation.

3. Kelly Cassidy

Race: Illinois state representative ( 14th District )

Website: citizensforcassidy.com .

The skinny: Cassidy, who recently wed activist Candice Gingrich, has served her district since 2011. Seeking to get re-elected, Cassidy is the only openly lesbian member of the General Assembly.

4. Ty Cratic

Race: Illinois state representative ( 9th District )

Website: TyCratic.com .

The skinny: Cratic ( a onetime Windy City Times 30 Under 30 honoree ) has been heavily involved in politics for quite some time, although this is his first time running. He is a native Chicagoan and has earned his B.A. degree in political science from Southern Illinois University. Among other accomplishments, Cratic served as senior staff on two Congressional campaigns in Ohio and Georgia, and has worked in the office of Alderman Jason C. Ervin, of Chicago's 28th Ward.

5. James Patrick Crawley

Race: Circuit Court of Cook County ( Countywide Roti vacancy )

Website: crawleyforjudge.com .

The skinny: Openly gay Crawley has been endorsed by Personal PAC as well as a number of other organizations. He previously served on the boards of Jane Addams Hull House and AIDS Care.

6. Michelle Darbro

Race: Illinois state representative ( 20th District )

Website: DarbroForRep.com .

The skinny: A Norwood Park resident, Darbro is a career firefighter and paramedic who is a 2015 inductee to the University of Chicago Athletic Hall of Fame.

7. James T. Derico Jr.

Race: Cook County Circuit Court ( Coghlan vacancy )

Website: Derico4Judge.com .

The skinny: Derico is a 1982 graduate of the University of Notre Dame and a 1985 graduate of the University of Pennsylvania Law School. In December 2018, the Illinois Supreme Court appointed him to serve as a Circuit Court judge for the Circuit Court of Cook County.

8. Michael Forti

Race: Cook County Judicial Circuit Courtve ( 8th Subcircuit/Gubin vacancy )

Website: None

The skinny: Forti is a a judge for the 8th Subcircuit of the Cook County Judicial Circuit Court in Illinois. However, his current term expires Dec. 7, necessitating a run. He faces no opponents in this race.

9. Jimmy Garfield

Race: Illinois state representative ( 12th District )

Website: JimmyGarfield.com .

The skinny: Garfield, an attorney, is running on a platform focused on reform in Springfield, and has been vocal about his opposition to longtime House Speaker Michael Madigan.

10. Greg Harris

Race: Illinois state representative ( 13th District )

Website: GregHarris.org

The skinny: Harris who was chief co-sponsor of SB10, the legislation that brought about marriage equality in Illinois has a district that includes several North Side neighborhoods. Harris ( who was first elected to the state House in 2006, and is the first openly gay person in Illinois to become a member of legislative leadership ) ran unopposed in the March 20 primary.

11. Marty Malone

Race: Illinois state representative ( 12th District )

Website: martymalone.com .

The skinny: Lake View resident Marty Malone is making his first bid for office as one of four openly gay men vying to be the 12th District's House representative. His platform focuses in large part on property tax reform.

12. Mary Cay Marubio

Race: Cook County Circuit Court ( O'Brien vacancy )

Website: JudgeMarubio.com .

The skinny: Mary Catherine "Mary Cay" Marubio is currently an associate judge for the Circuit Court of Cook County. Elected by her peers in 2016, she is currently assigned to the Pretrial Division and previously served in the Domestic Relations Division. Also, Marubio is president of the Alliance of Illinois Judges—whose mission is to promote and encourage respect and unbiased treatment for LGBTQ individuals as they relate to the judiciary, the legal profession and the administration of justice.

13. Denika McMillen

Race: Illinois state representative ( 41st District )

Website: McMillen4U.com .

The skinny: McMillen is a licensed clinical social worker and resident of Naperville. Since moving to Naperville in 2016 with her wife and their three children, McMillen has been an active member of the Diversity Advisory Committee for District 203, Indivisible Naperville and other groups, and was an original board member of the Naper Pride organization.

14. Jacob Meister

Race: Cook County clerk of the Circuit Court

Social media site: "Jacob Meister," on Facebook

The skinny: Branding himself a progressive reformer, Meister has been practicing law in Chicago for almost three decades. He is also the founder of The Civil Rights Agenda, an LGBTQ-advocacy organization.

15. Ken Mejia-Beal

Race: Illinois state representative ( 42nd District )

Website: KMBfor42.com .

The skinny: First-time political candidate in the DuPage County district, Meija-Beal's platform centers on three major issues he intends to change in his district: halting any revenue increases on alcohol, establishing simpler distribution of affordable insulin and HIV medication, and ending puppy mills in Illinois.

16. Yoni Pizer

Race: Illinois state representative ( 12th District )

Website: yonifor12.com .

The skinny: Pizer, a longtime Lake View resident, is a realtor/developer who, with husband Brad Lippitz, has been intensely involved in politics for years, hosting fundraisers for politicians such as Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot and president candidate Pete Buttigieg. Pizer was recently named to serve as the acting representative of the district following the departure of Sara Feigenholtz for the state Senate.

17. Ryan Podges

Race: Illinois state representative (12th District)

Website: RyanPodges.com .

The skinny: There are several gay men running for this Illinois House seat, including Podges and now-current 12th District rep Yoni Pizer, as well as Jimmy Garfield and Marty Malone. Podges, a Chicago attorney, feels there should be more LGBTQ representation in politics, and that the biggest problem for LGBTQs is access to proper healthcare.

18. Jill Rose Quinn

Race: Cook County Court judge ( K. Sheehan vacancy )

Website: VoteJillRoseQuinn.com .

The skinny: Quinn, a transgender attorney, has private practice experience includes working at general legal practices in Chicago, Bloomington, Lombard, Glen Ellyn and Franklin Park. She has also gotten the backing of several key political figures, including Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot.

19. Lamont Robinson

Race: Illinois state representative ( 5th District )

Website: VoteLamontRobinson.com .

The skinny: Robinson—who runs two Chicago Allstate Insurance offices, in Bronzeville and Humboldt Park—made history as the first openly gay African-American person in the General Assembly. During this primary, he is running unopposed.

20. Brian Sager

Race: Illinois state representative ( 63rd District )

Website: People4BrianSager.com .

The skinny: Sager is a retired college professor and administrator who has been the mayor of Woodstock since 2005. Among his top legislative priorities are economic and job growth as well political ethics and early childhood education.

21. Levander "Van" Smith Jr.

Race: Cook County Circuit Court ( Larson vacancy )

Website: SmithJrForJudge.com .

The skinny: Smith, an Oak Park resident, is waging his first campaign for Cook County Circuit Court judge—but he already sits on the bench. In February 2019, the Illinois Supreme Court appointed Smith as a judge ( in the domestic-violence division ), with a term set to expire Dec. 7, 2020.

22. Maggie Trevor

Race: Illinois state representative (54th District)

Website: MaggieTrevor4il54.net

The skinny: Trevor, who identifies as lesbian, faces Ryan Huffman in the Democratic primary—with the winner facing Republican incumbent Tom Morrison in the general election in November. Trevor was born and raised in Rolling Meadows, where her parents were among the city's original residents

23. Brad Trowbridge

Race: Circuit Court of Cook County (Fleming vacancy)

Website: BradTrowbridgeForJudge.com .

The skinny: Family-law attorney Brad Trowbridge was a social worker before he became a lawyer. The 2020 race is his third attempt running for a judicial post.

24. Emiliano Vera

Race: Illinois state representative ( 93rd District )

Website: VoteVeraIL.org

The skinny: Vera is running against Scott Stoll in the Democratic primary in the western Illinois district, which has Republican Norine Hammond as the incumbent. This district is one of 710 state legislative districts throughout the nation that intersects with one or more pivot counties ( those that went from Obama in 2008 and 2012 to Trump in 2016 ).

25. Michael Weaver

Race: Circuit Court of Cook County ( 9th Judicial Subcircuit )

Website: MichaelWeaverForJudge.com .

The skinny: Weaver is a partner in the trial department at the law firm McDermott Will & Emery LLP, where he is also the partner-in-charge for the LGBTQ+ Diversity and Inclusion Committee. He lives with his husband, Paul, and their pugs, Spooner and Magnum, in Chicago's Edgewater neighborhood.

26. Sam Yingling

Race: Illinois state representative ( 62nd District )

Website: SamYingling.com .

The skinny: Grayslake resident Yingling ran unopposed in the primary for his fourth term. He is the first openly gay House member from outside metropolitan Chicago. Yingling proposed to longtime partner Lowell Jaffe at the party former Illinois Gov. Pat Quinn threw to celebrate the passage of Illinois' marriage-equality bill in 2013. ( They married in 2015. )


This article shared 9448 times since Tue Mar 3, 2020
facebook twitter pin it google +1 reddit email

Out and Aging
Presented By

  ARTICLES YOU MIGHT LIKE

Gay News

Thailand parliament passes landmark marriage bill 2024-03-27
- On March 27, Thailand's parliament approved a marriage-equality bill by an overwhelmingly large margin—a landmark step that moves one of Asia's most liberal countries closer to legalizing same-sex unions, media ...


Gay News

Kara Swisher talks truth, power in tech at Chicago Humanities event 2024-03-25
- Lesbian author, award-winning journalist and podcast host Kara Swisher spoke about truth and power in the tech industry through the lens of her most recent book, Burn Book: A Tech Love Story, March 21 at First ...


Gay News

Wyoming is latest state to ban gender-affirming care for minors 2024-03-24
- On March 22, Wyoming became the latest state to prohibit gender-affirming care for minors, The Hill noted. In doing so, it joined 23 other states that passed laws restricting or banning the treatment. Legislators in both ...


Gay News

Chicago alder proposes renaming street after Obama 2024-03-22
- Openly gay Black Chicago Ald. Lamont Robinson has proposed renaming Columbus Drive after former U.S. President and city resident Barack Obama, media outlets noted. The street stretches through the Loop from East Grand Avenue to DuSable ...


Gay News

Congressional Equality Caucus on FY24 bills passing the house 2024-03-22
--From a press release - WASHINGTON, DC — Today, Chair of the Congressional Equality Caucus, Rep. Mark Pocan (WI-02), released the following statement after the House successfully passed the final funding bills for Fiscal Year ...


Gay News

WORLD Uganda items, HIV report, Mandela, Liechtenstein, foreign minister weds 2024-03-21
- It turned out that U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) Senior LGBTQI+ Coordinator Jay Gilliam traveled to Uganda on Feb. 19-27, per The Washington Blade. He visited the capital of Kampala and the nearby city of ...


Gay News

NATIONAL Va. marriage bill, AARP, online counseling, Idaho items, late activist 2024-03-21
- Republican Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin signed bills protecting same-sex marriages at a state level, surprising some, WRIC reported. The bills—passed out of both chambers along mostly party lines—will require clerks ...


Gay News

LGBTQ+ candidates Marcelino Garcia, Precious Brady Davis win primary elections to keep MWRD seats 2024-03-21
- Marcelino Garcia and Precious Brady-Davis, the two openly LGBTQ+ incumbents in the race to keep their seats on the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District (MWRD), won their primary elections and will move on to the general this ...


Gay News

Small LGBTQ+ candidate pool nevertheless scores some important victories March 19 2024-03-20
- Relatively few openly LGBTQ+ candidates were running in the March 19 Illinois Primary Election. But there were some significant contests in play at the local, state and federal levels. Openly gay Ald. Ray Lopez (15th Ward) ...


Gay News

Gay Irish prime minister to step down 2024-03-20
- In a surprise move, openly gay Irish Prime Minister (or Taoiseach) Leo Varadkar has announced his resignation, citing "personal and political, but mainly political reasons," according to CNN. Varadkar said he felt he was no longer ...


Gay News

Chicago's LGBTQ+ Advisory Council sets a new course 2024-03-18
- Chicago's LGBTQ+ Advisory Council held its first meeting of the calendar year on Feb. 28 at City Hall in the Loop under the leadership of the recently appointed chair Jin-Soo Huh. The LGBTQ+ Advisory Council is ...


Gay News

NATIONAL Missouri measure, HIV/AIDS Awareness Day, judge, Texas schools 2024-03-15
- In Missouri, a newly proposed law could charge teachers and counselors with a felony and require them to register as sex offenders if they're found guilty of supporting transgender students who are socially transitioning, CNN noted. ...


Gay News

PASSAGES: Former Chicago Commission on Human Relations chair Clarence Wood 2024-03-13
- LGBTQ ally and former Chicago Commission on Human Relations (CCHR) Chair and Commissioner Clarence N. Wood died March 5. He was 83. Wood was born April 14, 1940, in Alabama. While primarily raised in Alabama, Wood ...


Gay News

Longtime LGBTQ+-rights activist David Mixner dies at 77 2024-03-12
- On March 11, longtime LGBTQ+ and HIV/AIDS activist David Mixner—known for working on Bill Clinton's presidential campaign but then splitting from him over "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" (DADT)—died at age 77, The Advocate reported. ...


Gay News

LGBTQ+ Victory Fund remembers co-founder David Mixner 2024-03-12
--From a press release - Today, LGBTQ+ Victory Fund President & CEO Mayor Annise Parker released the following statement on the passing of LGBTQ+ civil rights activist and LGBTQ+ Victory Fund co-founder David Mixner: "Today, we lost David Mixner, a founding ...


 


Copyright © 2024 Windy City Media Group. All rights reserved.
Reprint by permission only. PDFs for back issues are downloadable from
our online archives.

Return postage must accompany all manuscripts, drawings, and
photographs submitted if they are to be returned, and no
responsibility may be assumed for unsolicited materials.

All rights to letters, art and photos sent to Nightspots
(Chicago GLBT Nightlife News) and Windy City Times (a Chicago
Gay and Lesbian News and Feature Publication) will be treated
as unconditionally assigned for publication purposes and as such,
subject to editing and comment. The opinions expressed by the
columnists, cartoonists, letter writers, and commentators are
their own and do not necessarily reflect the position of Nightspots
(Chicago GLBT Nightlife News) and Windy City Times (a Chicago Gay,
Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender News and Feature Publication).

The appearance of a name, image or photo of a person or group in
Nightspots (Chicago GLBT Nightlife News) and Windy City Times
(a Chicago Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender News and Feature
Publication) does not indicate the sexual orientation of such
individuals or groups. While we encourage readers to support the
advertisers who make this newspaper possible, Nightspots (Chicago
GLBT Nightlife News) and Windy City Times (a Chicago Gay, Lesbian
News and Feature Publication) cannot accept responsibility for
any advertising claims or promotions.

 
 

TRENDINGBREAKINGPHOTOS







Sponsor


 



Donate


About WCMG      Contact Us      Online Front  Page      Windy City  Times      Nightspots
Identity      BLACKlines      En La Vida      Archives      Advanced Search     
Windy City Queercast      Queercast Archives     
Press  Releases      Join WCMG  Email List      Email Blast      Blogs     
Upcoming Events      Todays Events      Ongoing Events      Bar Guide      Community Groups      In Memoriam     
Privacy Policy     

Windy City Media Group publishes Windy City Times,
The Bi-Weekly Voice of the Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Trans Community.
5315 N. Clark St. #192, Chicago, IL 60640-2113 • PH (773) 871-7610 • FAX (773) 871-7609.