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On November 7th, 2006 GLBT supportive majorities were elected to the
Minnesota House and the Minnesota Senate. Fifty-five (74%) of the
legislative candidates endorsed by OutFront Minnesota’s political action
committee (OutFront Minnesota Action) were elected. Eight sponsors of an
amendment to the state constitution to constrict marriage to
opposite-sex couples were defeated. Where both chambers previously had
majorities or near majorities of lawmakers who’d voted less than 50% on
GLBT issues, those positions will represent the minority in 2007 in both
the House and Senate.
All of the House and Senate lawmakers who received a 100% voting
score from OutFront Minnesota won their races for re-election. They,
along with other candidates who received a 100% rating on their
political action committee survey – 62 lawmakers in all - will be
serving in the legislature in 2007. A number of lawmakers who’d received
a zero percent voting score lost their races, however, 59 lawmakers with
zero percent scores also won.
Because of the 40 newly-elected Representatives and Senators whose
stands on GLBT issues are largely unknown, and the retirement of 12
legislators with 100% voting scores from OutFront Minnesota, the impact
of the elections on GLBT rights is not easily quantified. There are many
new legislators that OutFront Minnesota will need to educate on issues
affecting GLBT rights.
OutFront Minnesota conducted extensive get-out-the-vote drives by
sending more than 11,000 persuasive emails, conducting phone banking to
reach voters around the state including 500 infrequent voters, tabling
at 16 high-traffic locations with large GLBT clienteles, and sending
2,800 postcards to promote voting. OutFront Minnesota Action sent 27,000
postcards to promote its online voter’s guide.
The OutFront Minnesota Action online voter’s guide reflected
candidates’ answers to nine questions posed to them in a candidate
questionnaire, and reflected endorsed candidates in House and Senate
races, as well as judicial candidates who were given an “acceptable”
rating based on their answers to a separate set of questions. The online
voter’s guide attracted thousands of unique visits.
OutFront Minnesota Action worked on quite a few races across the
state, recruiting volunteers for door knocking to educate and turn out
voters.
Visit OutFront Minnesota
Action to review more election results.
Note: OutFront Minnesota Lobby Day is scheduled for Thursday,
April 19th, 2007. Join us at the capitol for the largest GLBT lobby day
in the country!
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