Election night was a historic evening for Illinoisans on many levels.
All eyes were on Illinois when it was announced that Chicagoan Barack Obama became the first African-American president. However, Obama's victory was not the only historical moment. The evening was also a victory for LGBT people and a number of their allies on the local level.
Pictured: Deb Mell ( left ) and Anita Alvarez, two of election night's big winners. Photo of Mell by Suzanne Kraus
Illinoisans came out in large numbers to cast their ballots on Nov. 4. In Chicago, voters withstood long lines, sometimes several blocks long. Windy City Times heard complaints about broken ballot boxes, confused and overwhelmed election judges and lengthy wait times, but despite any hiccups, over 62 percent of registered voters in Chicago made it out to the polls.
The large voter turnout wasn't the only shining moment of the evening. Deb Mell made local LGBT history when she defeated two opponents by a landslide to become the first lesbian elected to the state legislature. Mell is well known for her equal marriage rights activism and the political involvement of her family. Her father is longtime alderman and Democratic Party heavyweight Dick Mell, and her brother-in-law is Gov. Rod Blagojevich. Mell took three-quarters of the Northwest Side's 40th District, defeating Green Party candidate, LGBT ally and immigrant rights attorney Heather Benno and Republican candidate Christine Nere-Foss. Mell will join openly gay Rep. Greg Harris, who was uncontested this election, in the Illinois House.
Several LGBT allies also fared well, including Reps. Sara Feigenholtz ( 12th ) and Harry Osterman ( 14th ) . Feigenholtz defeated Green Party foe Tim Quirk with 85 percent of the vote, and Osterman defeated Green Party candidate John Beacham with 86 percent of the vote. State Sen. John Cullerton defeated Republican opponent Jay Valko in the 6th District. Strong LGBT ally Heather Steans took 81 percent of the vote in the 7th District, defeating Green Party candidate Tom Durkin. Both Cullerton and Steans represent districts with a large number of LGBT constituents.
Several allies in the state legislature also ran uncontested, including Reps. Barbara Flynn Currie and Connie Howard, Sen. Iris Martinez and others.
The 65th District battle between long-time moderate Republican LGBT supporter Rep. Rosemary Mulligan and Democratic ally and pro-choice supporter Aurora Austriaco was very close. The 65th District, which is located in Cook County, includes areas such as Des Plaines, Niles and Park Ridge. Both ran a tough campaign the past several months, and although they ran neck-and-neck most of the evening, Mulligan came out ahead right before midnight with 54 percent of the vote.
The leaders of the Illinois General Assembly also won their races with a majority of the vote. Senate President Emil Jones defeated Republican opponent Ray Wardingly, and Speaker of the House Mike Madigan defeated foe Robert Famiglietti. Both received roughly 80 percent of the vote.
Mell's win was not the only ground-breaking local victory of the evening. Anita Alvarez took the highest office for a Hispanic woman in Cook County history. Alvarez, who proved to be a strong LGBT ally during her campaign, defeated anti-gay Republican Tony Peraica and Green Party candidate Thomas O'Brien in the race for Cook County State's Attorney. During her victory speech, Alvarez said she is ready to roll up her sleeves and 'get down to business.' Alvarez prided herself in the fact that she took 75 percent of the vote, and recalled early on in her campaign when someone asked her husband, 'Who is going to vote for an Alvarez?'
In other county races, Recorder of Deeds incumbent Eugene Moore and Circuit Clerk incumbent Dorothy Brown beat out the competition with a majority of the vote. Democratic incumbent Joe Berrios defeated his two foes to win the Board of Review 2nd District.
All three Democratic candidates who ran for the three open Metropolitan Water Reclamation District seats—Frank Avila, Kathleen Therese Meany and Cynthia Santos—won, as well.
Many Cook County Circuit Court judicial candidates ran uncontested, and 70 judges were up for retention. With nearly 75 percent of precincts reporting, Sebastian Patti, who made history when he became the first openly gay judge appointed to the bench, was retained.
Illinois voters also had the chance to decide whether or not the state could hold a constitutional convention in order to revise the 1970 Illinois Constitution. This is a question brought before voters every 20 years. During a constitutional convention, delegates from each senatorial district in Illinois get the opportunity to review the state constitution and make recommendations, which are then approved or disapproved by voters. Sixty-eight percent of voters voted no. Some opponents of the constitutional convention feared that if one was held, delegates would recommend amending the Illinois constitution to define marriage as being between one man and one woman.
