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).
