Tammy Baldwin A lesbian member of the House of Representatives has launched a bid to be the first openly-gay Senator in the US. Democrat Tammy Baldwin is running for the Wisconsin Senate seat being vacated by retiring Senator Herb Kohl next year. The Washington Post Baldwin was first elected to represent Wisconsin's 2nd district in 1998, becoming the first female House member from the state. She was also the first openly gay person to be elected to Congress as a non-incumbent. "When I first ran for Congress in 1998, people counted me out," she says in her Senate announcement video, "But we worked hard, campaigned across south-central Wisconsin, and we won." When asked about the impact of her sexuality on her campaign during a conference call with reporters, Baldwin said: "From day one, I have always been open about my sexual orientation. I think that that integrity is something that is important to voters. But frankly, this campaign isn't going to be about me."
Credit: GayNZ.com Daily News staff
First published: Wednesday, 7th September 2011 - 10:51am