Today may determine whether gay Iraq veteran Anthony Woods is your next U.S. congressman. OMG, and he's black?! Capitol Hill is not ready for all this minorityism!
And it may not have to be.
Woods, a Bronze Star recipient and Harvard grad, faces some established candidates in today's special election to fill the open seat left by Rep. Ellen Tauscher, who left for a post in the Obama administration. While Woods is the obvious "Don't Ask Don't Tell" candidate (though he's buried his gay rights positions at the bottom of his Issues list), he has some heavy hitting opponents, including Democrats like Lt. Gov. John Garamendi, State Sen. Mark DeSaulnier, State Rep. Joan Buchanan — plus six Republicans and three others.
But with so many players, there's a chance no one candidate will score a majority vote. And without one, the special election ends with a whimper: the top vote getters from each party will face a Nov. 3 battle for the seat.
So today either launches Woods into the stratosphere of American politics, or asks him politely to sit back down.
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Woods is being groomed, and all in all that's a good thing.
There is no expectation that he will even place today, though I wish he would and I did give him money.
He is part of the political party apparatus in our sadly gerrymandered state, and as such cannot be expected to strike out on his own and let the chips fall where they may, but his is bright, openly gay and hard working.
Sincere, too, but then sincerity can vanish over time in the airless chambers of California's insider politics.
@MoHoTo: Thank you for mentioning what state this is going on in (since the article didn't)!
Is it the top vote getters of each party, or the top two, regardless of party? I could be wrong but I was under the impression that in California, special elections are held without a primary and without regard to party affiliation. But I'm not in that district (and mine hasn't had a special election for a Congressional district in decades), so I could easily be wrong.
@Rick. Agreed. I know it only takes a quick search to find it, but some, uh, basic reporting would be nice.