HRC's Joe Solmonese addresses volunteers in Chicago, outside DePaul University, before the Nov. 7 elections. Photo by Beckermedia.com___________
Nov. 7 was a historic day for the Democratic Party as it swept both houses of the United States Congress. Windy City Times talked with Joe Solmonese—national president of the gay-rights organization Human Rights Campaign ( HRC ) —about the elections, the failures of same-sex marriage to be approved and HRC's political efforts.
Windy City Times: What's your reaction to what happened in the House and Senate?
Joe Solmonese: I think what happened is one of the most important things that could've happened for GLBT Americans in more than a decade. It was an election that we always knew was going to be a unique opportunity to get rid of some of the most dangerous people to our community, like Rick Santorum. However, we also knew that it would be a chance to elect some new and heroic leaders on our behalf—and we did both things very well.
WCT: What about Tammy Duckworth [ the Iraq War veteran who lost to Peter Roskam in the 6th Congressional District in Illinois ] ?
JS: I was very disappointed that she didn't win. There's nobody more courageous and there's nobody who I think would've brought a more refreshing voice to Congress. We always knew that was a tough district, but she ran a great campaign. What she had to say was important to the debate, though.
WCT: Nationally, were there any surprises?
JS: No, oddly. Everything we tracked seemed to go our way. Our top three electoral priorities were the Pennsylvania, Minnesota and Ohio Senate races; we were successful in all of them. I didn't expect Sharon Brown or Bob Casey would win by the margins they did, but their victories really pulled a lot of people along with them in their states.
WCT: Also, what's your reaction to what happened with the [ same-sex marriage ] initiatives?
JS: Well, we knew in the beginning of this cycle that there were going to be a handful of measures in very tough states. What I think is interesting, though, is that the results were so much closer than anyone predicted—and that we actually won in Arizona.
WCT: Now what did HRC do during this particular election cycle?
JS: We did three things differently than we ever had. First, we invested significantly in a handful of states; we endorsed governors for the first time and helped states with their legislative priorities. Also, we mobilized our membership to work like never before; for example, we bused people out of Chicago to work on [ Duckworth's ] campaign. Lastly, we bundled money for GLBT-friendly candidates like never before. We bundled $1.3 million for key races, like Casey and Duckworth.
WCT: HRC apparently also wants to develop and expand political alliances with party groups and progressive organizations. How's that working so far?
JS: Great. When I arrived on the ground in Philadelphia on [ Nov. 5 ] and went to the staging area for all the work that our canvassers were doing during the day, it was a joint project with progressive groups, organized labor and environmental groups. In any given state, the makeup of powerful players is diverse. We always need to work with our GLBT allies, but we also need to expand our focus; we need to form alliances in new and different ways.
WCT: Going back to Congress, what would you like to see it do—in terms of HRC's vision?
JS: The first and most important thing is that they won't be taking up the Federal Marriage Amendment for debate. That in itself will free up time and resources to engage in a conversation with the newly elected leadership about a much more proactive agenda and about moving forward ( hate-crime and workplace discrimination protection ) .
WCT: Looking forward to 2008, are there any particular states you're eyeing?
JS: Our big focus is on electoral victories, that is, who can be strong allies on our behalf? There are people at HRC who are looking at our endangered incumbent allies. Mary Landry in Louisiana is up for re-election in 2008; she needs help with her campaign. The first thing we want to do is hold on to the gains we made in 2006. Then, we'll look across the campaign and seek opportunities to add allies.
WCT: What do you make of Donald Rumsfeld's resignation?
JS: Clearly, this White House woke [ Nov. 8 ] and got the wake-up call it needed.
WCT: By the way, when are you running for Congress?
JS: [ Laughs. ] Well, unfortunately, I'm in the District of Columbia, but we have Eleanor Holmes Norton doing a wonderful job right here. [ Besides, ] I like what I'm doing far too much.
See www.hrc.org for more info.
