Gay Rights Group Rates Candidates
Written by DCist contributor Christopher Durocher
In anticipation of the September 12 District primaries, the Gay and Lesbian Activists Alliance (GLAA) of D.C. released its ratings for mayoral candidates last week. The ratings, which score candidates from +10 to -10 based on their support for the GLBT community and its issues, ranked D.C. Council Chair Linda Cropp the top candidate with a +9.5 rating, while Councilmember Vincent Orange found himself at the bottom of the pile with a -2.5.
For her part, Cropp has tried to position herself as the diva who apparently mixes with the GLBT community to make something akin to a “classic martini.” On the other hand, if his comments have been any indication, Orange may be working a more Karl Rove angle by using GLBT issues as a wedge in the race. In an August 5 interview in the Washington Blade, Orange asserted that same-sex marriage would be a major issue in the race and that his opponents were "morally unfit" to serve as mayor because of their support for it.
The other mayoral candidates ratings ran the gamut between Cropp’s high and Orange’s low. Councilmember Adrian Fenty, who has led the field in the polls, earned an +8.5, followed by Michael Brown (+7) and Marie Johns (+6.5). Republican write-in candidate Dennis Moore earned a +2.5, while Statehood Green candidate Chris Otten earned a +2.0, a surprise for the progressive party.
GLAA is a D.C.-based, non-partisan, gay and lesbian rights organization has rated candidates since 1971. It determines it ratings by examining a candidate’s record on GLAA-identified issues (+/-3), their answers to a 24-question survey (+/-6), and their "championship" quality (+/-1).
Given that the candidate survey represented 12 of the total 20 points in the scale, it is clearly the most important factor in the rating. The survey asked questions about GLBT issues related to the funding of D.C. government agencies and programs; marriage and family; public education and youth programs; as well as gay-owned and operated businesses. Of the ten mayoral candidates the GLAA identified, six completed its survey, including Cropp, Fenty, Brown, Johns, Moore, and Otten.
The decisive factor in determining the highest rated candidate, however, hinged on the erstwhile quality of "championship," which GLAA defined as "taking the lead on an issue of concern to gay men and lesbians." Cropp and Fenty received identical scores for their records and survey responses, but, unlike Fenty, Cropp scored an extra point for championship.
Given the fact that Fenty was the first candidate to publicly support same-sex marriage rights in D.C., it may be hard to see why he failed to score that decisive championship point. The GLAA did note in its press release that Fenty "hasn’t taken a strong leadership role on any legislation for our community" while Cropp’s "strong support on GLBT issues has been outstanding, including defending our concerns before Congress, even countering incorrect statements by the Mayor regarding the domestic partnership law."
The GLAA also rated candidates running for all council positions. Councilmember Kathy Patterson, who is a candidate for Council Chair, and At-Large Councilmember Phil Mendelson received the highest ratings of any candidate with +10, while Ward 3 candidate Jonathan Rees received the lowest rating with -3. Of the 14 candidates running for the Ward 5 seat, 11 did not respond to the questionnaire.