GLAA awards high ratings to Schwartz, Cafritz, Wells, Hanrahan

Gay and Lesbian Activists Alliance of Washington, DC
P.O. Box 75265, Washington, DC 20013

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Wednesday, October 23, 2002
Contact: Bob Summersgill
(202) 667-5139

GLAA AWARDS HIGH RATINGS TO SCHWARTZ, CAFRITZ, WELLS, HANRAHAN;
ENDORSES ELECTED ATTORNEY GENERAL

The Gay and Lesbian Activists Alliance of Washington (GLAA), the nation's oldest continuously active gay and lesbian civil rights organization, has completed its ratings of candidates in the November 5 D.C. general elections. The highest new ratings were awarded to mayoral candidate Carol Schwartz (+8.5), incumbent school board President Peggy Cooper Cafritz (+8), school board incumbent Tommy Wells (+7), and council chair candidate Debby Hanrahan (+7).

GLAA had already rated candidates running in last month's party primaries. The only candidates whose ratings were revised were Mayor Tony Williams and Ward 1 Council member Jim Graham, both of whom received higher ratings (+4 and +8, respectively) in recognition of recent steps taken by the Administration and Mr. Graham to help publicize and enforce the D.C. Human Rights Act of 1977.

Republican Councilmember Schwartz earned her rating, the highest of any mayoral candidate this year, by virtue of her detailed supportive responses to GLAA's 16-question questionnaire and her three-decade-long record of service to the District's gay and lesbian community. Statehood-Green Party Council Chair candidate Hanrahan, in addition to her strong questionnaire responses, was cited for her work with ACT UP DC on medical marijuana initiatives 57 and 59. Board of Education President Peggy Cooper Cafritz, in addition to a strong questionnaire, was cited for her record of support for gay issues both on the board and as a private citizen. Board of Education incumbent Tommy Wells, representing District III (Wards 5 and 6), was cited for his outstanding leadership in securing the school board's recent enactment of a comprehensive anti-harassment policy safeguarding students, teachers, and administrative staff in the D.C. public schools.

GLAA also went on record urging a "Yes" vote in November's Advisory Referendum A urging Congress and the Council to amend the D.C. Charter to allow for election of an Attorney General, who would then exercise many of the powers currently wielded by the Presidentially-appointed U.S. Attorney. Such a step would represent a significant step forward for D.C. home rule, especially if the new office could be structured to resolve the current conflict-of-interest problem within the District's Office of the Corporation Counsel, which is charged both with enforcing the Human Rights Act and with defending the city government from suits alleging government violations of the same law.

In the mayor's race, independent candidate Tricia Kinch received a +4.5 in the latest round of GLAA ratings. Earlier, Statehood-Green candidate Steve Donkin had earned a +7.5, while incumbent Tony Williams received a disappointing +4, reflecting a number of ambiguous or non-supportive questionnaire responses as well as a checkered record during his administration on issues deemed crucial by GLAA, including HIV/AIDS fiscal oversight, domestic partnership implementation, and defending and enforcing the DC Human Rights Act.

In the Council Chair race, incumbent Democrat Linda Cropp's +6 rating resulted from a strong pro-gay record combined with only a mediocre questionnaire.

In the race for two At-Large Council seats, independent Eugene Kinlow received a +3. Incumbents David Catania and Phil Mendelson had already been rated +10 and +7.5, respectively.

In the contests for Board of Education, District IV incumbent William Lockridge, who is running unopposed, did not return GLAA's questionnaire. He received a +1.5 rating on the basis of his supportive record while serving on the Board. Two candidates running against Tommy Wells, Sunday Abraham and Benjamin Bonham, both earned negative ratings. Sunday Abraham received the lowest rating of any candidate this year, -6.5, in light of her ignorant and homophobic responses to GLAA's questionnaire, while former School Board member Benjamin Bonham was rated -2 because of his major administrative leadership role in the notoriously homophobic Boy Scouts organization.

All candidate ratings and responses to GLAA's questionnaire may be found on its web site, www.glaa.org. The complete list of ratings follows.

GLAA releases ratings of 2002 DC General Election Candidates

(updated on October 23, 2002)

To see the full text of a candidate's questionnaire responses, click on his or her name below.
(NOTE: All questionnaires for which ratings have been posted have been signed by the candidates
to verify their personal commitment to their answers.)

(We reserve the right to re-rate candidates based on additional information received during the campaign.)


Mayor

Candidate
Party
Rating
Carol Schwartz
Republican
8 ½
Steve Donkin
Statehood-Green
7 ½
Tricia Kinch
Independent
4 ½
Anthony A. Williams (Incumbent)
Democrat
4
Sam Manuel
Socialist Workers
0 *
Robert Moore
Independent
0 *
Daniel S. Orci, Jr.
Independent
0 *

DC Council Chair

Candidate
Party
Rating
Debby Hanrahan
Statehood-Green
7
Linda Cropp (Incumbent)
Democrat
6

At-Large DC Councilmember

Candidate
Party
Rating
David A. Catania (Incumbent)
Republican
10
Phil Mendelson (Incumbent)
Democrat
7 ½
Eugene DeWitt Kinlow
Independent
3
Ahmad Braxton-Jones
Independent
0 *
Antonio D. Dominguez
Independent
0 *
Johnny M. Patrick
Independent
0 *
Chris Ray
Independent
0 *
M. Tingling-Clemmons
Statehood-Green
0 *
Kweku Touré
Independent
0 *

Ward 1 DC Councilmember

Candidate
Party
Rating
Jim Graham (Incumbent)
Democrat
8
Edward C. Troy
Statehood-Green
½ *

Ward 3 DC Councilmember

Candidate
Party
Rating
Kathy Patterson (Incumbent)
Democrat
9
Erik Rojo
Republican
0 *

Ward 5 DC Councilmember

Candidate
Party
Rating
Edward Henry Wolterbeek
Republican
1 *
Vincent Orange (Incumbent)
Democrat
-1.5 *

Ward 6 DC Councilmember

Candidate
Party
Rating
Sharon Ambrose (Incumbent)
Democrat
10
Jenefer Ellingston
Statehood-Green
2

School Board President

Candidate
Rating
Peggy Cooper Cafritz
8

School Board District III (Wards 5 and 6)

Candidate
Rating
Tommy Wells
7
Marshall R. Phillips, Sr.
0 *
Benjamin Bonham
- 2 *
Sunday Abraham
- 6 ½

School Board District IV (Wards 7 and 8)

Candidate
Rating
William Lockridge
1 ½ *

Note: Ratings marked with an asterisk (*) indicate a candidate who did not return a questionnaire and was therefore rated solely on his or her known record on GLAA’s issues.

Breakdown of available ratings points

Questionnaire: yes/no+/- 2 points
Questionnaire: substantive grasp of issues+/- 4 points
Record:+/- 3 points
Championship: taking the lead on an issue
of concern to gay men and lesbians
+/- 1 point
Total available:+/- 10 points

Click here to view a detailed breakdown of all candidates' ratings points.

The Gay and Lesbian Activists Alliance of Washington, DC is a local, all-volunteer, non-partisan, non-profit political organization, founded in 1971 to advance the equal rights of gay men and lesbians in Washington, DC. We are the nation’s oldest continuously active gay and lesbian civil rights organization.

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