The Delaware Stonewall PAC is a nonpartisan political action committee dedicated to advancing the interests of Delaware’s LGBTQ community. It is my opinion that the PAC really shouldn’t be nonpartisan because protecting LGBTQ rights is a partisan issue since Democrats protect and advance them and the Republicans seeks to reverse and end them. But I digress.
The PAC has made its primary election endorsements for the September 15 state Primary Election. Endorsements for the November General Election will be released at a later date. These endorsements were made after questionnaires requesting candidates’ views on legislative initiatives enacted and proposed were sent to and received from the candidates. Also requested were positions on issue affecting more than just the LGBTQ community, including minimum livable wage and Donald Trumps’ anti-LGBTQ agenda. Endorsements were made based on those responses and the voting records of incumbents.
The PAC noted in its endorsements that the election of Sarah McBride would make her the first elected transgender State Senator in the country and the election of Eric Morrison would make him the first elected gay State Representative in Delaware. Yes, you are all thinking of former Senator Karen Peterson at this moment, but she was a State Senator, not Representative.
So without further adieu, here are the Stonewall endorsements. I will offer my thoughts afterwards:
US SENATOR- CHRIS COONS
INSURANCE COMMISSIONER- TRINIDAD NAVARRO
STATE SENATE DISTRICT 1- SARAH McBRIDE (Wilmington)
STATE SENATE DISTRICT 5- KYLE EVANS GAY (Wilmington)
STATE SENATE DISTRICT 13- DAVID McBRIDE (New Castle)
STATE SENATE DISTRICT 14- KYRA HOFFNER (Dover)
STATE HOUSE DISTRICT 4- GERALD BRADY (Wilmington)
STATE HOUSE DISTRICT 7- RAY SEIGFRIED (Wilmington)
STATE HOUSE DISTRICT 8- MATTHEW WALLACE POWELL (Middletown)
STATE HOUSE DISTRICT 10 – SEAN MATTHEWS (Wilmington)
STATE HOUSE DISTRICT 27- ERIC MORRISON (Newark)
STATE HOUSE DISTRICT 34- ROBERT HAYNES (Camden-Wyoming)
I still don’t know much about the three candidates in the RD8 race to know whether the endorsement of Matthew Wallace Powell is good or bad. I think Larry Lambert is the better candidate in the RD7, but that doesn’t mean Ray Seigfried is a bad state Representative or is anti-LGBTQ in any way.
I am shocked by the endorsement of Dave McBride over Marie Pinkney, who would be the second openly gay member of the Senate, and the first openly gay Black Senator. But since the other McBride is in the leadership, Stonewall doesn’t want to pick that fight just yet. Same reasoning goes towards their endorsement of Chris Coons over Jess Scarane.
The release somehow left out the endorsement of Sean Matthews in the RD 10 Primary.
Thanks. I will update it above.
Great job!! Congrats to David McBride (Lewes) popular Whipping Post fan over a Black Lesbian woman. Really impressive and courageous!
Delaware Stonewall PAC is a private entity. The Board of Directors is responsible to its dues-paying members. The PAC considers endorsements of candidates based on their voting record (if the have served in office) and their responses to a questionnaire mailed to every filed candidate of the major political parties. Endorsing an Out member of our community is and has been a goal. In the past, Stonewall endorsed an out candidate for Insurance Commissioner, State Senator Karen Peterson, and others who ran and did not succeed. This year we endorsed two out candidates to date- Sarah McBride for State Senate and Eric Morrison for the State House. Stonewall did not endorse Ms. Pinkney in the Primary against incumbent Senate President Pro Tem David McBride. Ms. Pinkney is a qualified candidate and she did indicate in her questionnaire response that she is a member of our community (she did not “reveal” her race. No one on our Board has never met her or seen a picture of her, She has not attended any of Stonewall’s events. Senator McBride has voted in favor of every bill supported by LGBTQ organizations, including Stonewall. That includes: Hospital Visitation Rights and the Non-Discrimination Bill passed in 2009. He supported Civil Unions. He supported Marriage Equality. He supported Gender Identity Protections and last session, the Ban on Conversion Therapy. He was in Senate leadership for , many of those bills and he was a sponsor of most, if not all. Stonewall does not believe we should ask straight elected officials to support LGBTQ legislation with the understanding that we will oppose them if they are opposed by a qualified member of our community,
If Ms.Pinkney were running for an open seat or against an incumbent with a less-than stellar voting record ( as is the case with Rep. Earl Jaques who voted for the non-discrimination and Gender Identity bills, but voted No on Civil Unions and Marriage Equality and chose not to vote in the Conversion Therapy Bill. Mr. Jaques is opposed by a qualified out candidate who was president of Pride Delaware. There were members of our organization who oppose Mr. Morrison. We weighed their views and made a decision.). Sarah McBride is running for an open seat. She is or was a member of the Equality Delaware Board and held a high level position with the Human Rights Campaign. She was the driving force in favor of the passage of the Gender Identity Bill. She is well qualified and was endorsed, In 2018, Stonewall endorsed a Republican for the first time, Rep.Mike Ramone. We heard from many members upset that we would endorse a Republican (Stephanie Barry had not announced at that time). This year we weighed the views of the members and, although Mike Ramone has a 100% voting record on LGBTQ matters, the Board narrowly voted to endorse his Democratic opponent, Ms. Barry.
Mr.Connor is welcome to his opinion. However he is not a member and chooses to raise the issue of the race and sexual orientation of Senator McBride’s opponent only as a tool to use against McBride, who he opposes. Some of our Board members recall Mr.Connor’s strident advocacy in 2012 in favor of a straight incumbent Insurance Commissioner even though her opponent was a well-qualified and Out member of our community-The President of Stonewall at the beginning of the campaign
Stonewall makes its endorsements based on the metrics it establishes for the race. It considers the record of candidates over their promises. It considers the views of its membership. We are not infallible. However we do our best, knowing in this day and age we will never be “right” as long as people demand we support ALL who they support
Some folks might recall a Shakespearean quote. Let me think of it I think it starts “Thou doth………….” Again kudos for the ground breaking achievement 🙂