Election fever descends upon Pa.

by Michael K. Lavers
EDGE Mid-Atlantic Regional EditorThursday
Mar 6, 2008

Pennsylvania voters could determine whether New York Sen. Hillary Clinton or Illinois Sen. Barack Obama becomes their party’s nominee for the White House. (Source:Evan Vucci of the Associated Press) Even though the Pennsylvania primary is more than six weeks away, local LGBT politicos and activists are already gearing up for what promises to be a hotly contested campaign in the Commonwealth.

Jesse Salazar has organized potential voters to support Illinois Sen. Barack Obama since last September. He has focused his efforts around Lewisburg in Union County and other rural areas throughout central Pennsylvania. Salazar, who is a candidate to become a delegate to the Democratic National Convention in August, said he was initially surprised at how many people he said they would vote for Obama."

I was shocked at how many people were coming out in support for Obama," he said. "These are very, very small communities with 900 here, 1,100 here and I found wide support for Barack Obama."

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LGBT Clinton supporters stand by their woman

by Michael K. Lavers
EDGE Mid-Atlantic Regional Editor
Thursday Mar 6, 2008

LGBT Clinton supporters remain confident the former First Lady will garner her party’s nomination at the Democratic National Convention in August.

As New York Sen. Hillary Clinton and Illinois Sen. Barack Obama continue to battle it out on the campaign trail, LGBT New Yorkers who back the former First Lady could barely contain their excitement over her victories in the Ohio, Rhode Island and Texas primaries on Tuesday.

Dirk McCall, an activist in Astoria, Queens, described Clinton’s victory as ’wonderful.’ And he added he feels it provided added momentum for her campaign going into the Pennsylvania primary on April 22 and the Democratic National Convention in Denver this summer.

"She’s definitely making her case to the American people," McCall said.

Jeff Campagna, a member of Clinton’s LGBT Steering Committee, agreed."There is tremendous momentum," he said.

Jon Winkleman, a gay Clinton supporter from Woodside, Queens, handed out buttons for Clinton at gay bars in his native Rhode Island ahead of Tuesday’s vote. He also campaigned for the former First Lady in Iowa and New Hampshire ahead of their respective caucuses and primary in January. Winkleman added he had little doubt Clinton would do well."I’m excited, but I was really confident it was going to happen," he said.

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