At least nine members of the Illinois LGBT community are among those who have been named as delegates for 2016 presidential candidate Hillary Clinton, according to sources.
Among those selected were Ald. Raymond Lopez ( 4th district ); Rocco Claps ( 5th ); John West ( 7th ); Rick Garcia ( 9th ); Alex Arroyo ( 11th ); Gay Bruhn ( 11th ); Jackie Richter ( 16th ); Jessica Flynn ( 17th ); and Charles Good ( 18th ).
Clinton's campaign made a concerted effort to have a diverse representation amongst its delegates of many communities, according to Claps, a Democratic party activist who is also director of the Illinois Department of Human Rights.
"We exceeded the number of LGBT delegates we were aiming for," Claps said. "We were aiming for six, but it came out to be nine. I think it's a well-balanced slate, and represents the diversity of Illinois."
Kevin Conlon, president of Conlon & Dunn Public Strategies, and attorney Kevin O'Keefe oversaw the delegate selection process. Clinton's campaign filled 102 slots allocated to 18 congressional districts.