He is a founding member of the D.C. Cowboys, a gay country/western dance group that has appeared on America's Got Talent and was praised by Sharon Osborne on their way to the semifinal round.
Ed Mullen, openly gay since 1988, is now hoping to do some fancy foot-work in the political world. He is a Democratic candidate for the Illinois state representative in the 11th District, which includes parts of Lincoln Park, DePaul, Wrightwood, Sheffield, Lincoln Square, Lakeview, North Center, Roscoe Village and Ravenswood. He already has been endorsed by Northside Democracy for America and the Victory Fund, among others.
"I am a civil rights lawyer with a long history of activism and political engagement," Mullen said. "Over the years, I have advocated as a lawyer and community activist for a wide range of LGBT causes, as well as for the rights of people with disabilities and seniors. I understand the serious problems facing our state, and I have developed sound public policy ideas to address those problems. My first and foremost goal as a legislator will be to solve the serious problems facing Illinois, not to empower myself and enrich my friends."
Windy City Times: What are the strengths and weaknesses in District 11, and how do you plan to improve it?
Ed Mullen: The 11th District is a relatively stable and growing District that has endured the economic crisis better than many others. Its residents are highly educated and progressive. As I talk to voters and longtime residents, however, there is a concern that the sense of community in the District has diminished over the last five to 10 years. As an elected official and community leader, I believe that we can restore the sense of community in part by restoring people's faith in their government.
WCT: Why are you the best candidate for the position?
Ed Mullen: I am the only candidate in the race with the independence, courage and experience to fight for real reforms necessary to create long-term economic stability and prosperity. My experience as a lawyer for people who have been discriminated against has given me insight into the impact of public policy on ordinary people, and it has also given me the skills to shape public policy in a way that works for the people government is intended to serve.
WCT: What truly separates you from others?
Ed Mullen: I am independent of the political establishment in Illinois and have a long record of fighting on behalf of ordinary people. My opponents are both longtime cogs in the machine that has led us to the economic and political crisis we face today. If we are going to change the path Illinois is traveling down, we must elect independent and progressive candidates like me to public office.
WCT: Are you proud to be an openly gay candidate?
Ed Mullen: I am very proud to be an openly gay candidate for public office, and I am actively seeking the support of the LGBT community. I have marched on Washington D.C., for gay rights, competed in the Gay Games in New York City and Sydney, and I am actively involved in LGBT organizations like Equality Illinois and Victory Fund. I believe it important to have openly gay representation at all levels of government to ensure that our rights do not take a back seat to the rights of others.
WCT: How does being openly gay help and, potentially, hurt your campaign. How do you overcome any obstacles?
Ed Mullen: Being an openly gay candidate in my district is, I believe, mostly helpful. There is a significant LGBT population in my district, and they have been very supportive of me as an openly gay candidate. In addition, I think people in my district associate positive qualities with the LGBT community, such as empathy, pride, and inclusion. While there may be people in my district who vote against me because I am gay, I don't think those people would have been supportive of my progressive platform in any event.
WCT: How has being gay affected your political career?
Ed Mullen: My political career has just begun, but my experience with LGBT political causes is what gave me the inspiration and experience to run for political office. My first real political experience was walking precincts for Christine Kehoe, a lesbian in San Diego, where I was studying for the LSAT. She was running her first race for city council and is now a California State Senator. I also worked over the years for other openly gay candidates and supported more through the Victory Fund. My politics have been influenced significantly by my experiences as a gay man.
WCT: Your thoughts about political reform. What does that mean to you, what does that entail and how it can be accomplished?
Ed Mullen: I think comprehensive political reform is essential. The Better Government Association estimates that we spend 10-15 percent of our government expenditures on a "corruption tax." money wasted on no bid contracts, nepotism, cronyism and the like. This is not just money coming out of our pockets, but money that does not go to funding education and social services, such as HIV prevention and AIDS care. Comprehensive political reform means more than just campaign finance reform. It means closing loopholes in the government procurement process, strengthening enforcement mechanisms, public financing of elections and a more open and transparent government. We cannot fix our public policies without first fixing the broken politics that led us into the crisis we face today.
WCT: What can be done to improve the job market locally?
Ed Mullen: The state government must focus intently on job creation in order to begin to extract us from the economic crisis we face. The state has for too long subsidized businesses that contribute to political campaigns to the detriment of small businesses throughout the state. Changing the political culture is the first step to improving the climate for businesses in Illinois.
We need a comprehensive economic policy that includes fundamentals like improved education, healthcare and mass transit, so that businesses and workers will find Illinois an attractive place to live and do business. Beyond that, we need to implement policies that support small businesses, the technology sector, which has been ignored for too long in Illinois, and the emerging green economy rather than propping up old and dying industries that will not support us in the future. In the immediate term, I strongly support the capital bill and infrastructure improvements to kick-start the economy and create jobs.
WCT: Your tax policy, please …
Ed Mullen: I believe that we have a regressive tax system in Illinois that needs to be changed fundamentally. We rely too heavily on property taxes, which are regressive because they have no relation to a person's ability to pay and can be skewed by new homes in the neighborhood in a way that longtime residents cannot afford to remain in their homes. We must renew the cap on annual increases in the property tax as a first step to tax reform.
Second, we must make the income tax more progressive. In the long term, this requires a Constitutional amendment, but in the short term, we can create a relatively progressive system by increasing the tax rate while at the same time increasing the exemptions for low and middle income individuals and families.
Third, even after we minimize the corruption tax and cut waste and inefficiency, we need to recognize that Illinois has a structural deficit and deal with it by balancing the budget annually. We cannot resort to avoiding pension payments, which has resulted in an unfunded pension liability of $80 million, and other budget tricks. Instead, we must understand that if we want good schools and social services we need to pay for them.
WCT: How has the LGBT community impacted your candidacy?
Ed Mullen: The LGBT community has been a great benefit to my candidacy. I have received significant support from the LGBT community in terms of volunteers, financial contributions, and encouragement. I am running as an openly gay candidate, and I believe the LGBT community should be represented by more openly gay elected officials in Springfield. It is much harder for legislators to deny rights to the LGBT community when they look across the aisle at colleagues who are openly gay. The LGBT community understands this dynamic, and as a result, it has coalesced behind me.
More Ed Mullen:
—High school: Albany Public High School in Albany, N.Y.
—College: University of Pennsylvania; George Washington Law School.
—Single or dating: "In a relationship"
—Hobbies: Sailing, wine tasting and walking his dog, Roscoe
—Cubs or White Sox?: Cubs! "Next season … "
