U.S. Rep. Will Hurd, R-Helotes, is looking to hold on to the 23rd District. His opponent is Gina Ortiz Jones, a former Air Force intelligence officer who is openly LGBTQ. Updated: November 7, 2018, 1:00 p.m. By Teo Armus, The Texas Tribune The Texas congressional race between incumbent Republican Will Hurd and Democratic challenger Gina…
Two San Antonio Congressmen Score 100 on HRC’s Congressional Scorecard
With the November election just around the corner, the Human Rights Campaign has released it’s Congressional Scorecard for the 115th Congress that measures support for LGBTQ equality in Congress. Locally, two San Antonio Congressmen scored 100 on the survey. Congressman Joaquín Castro of District 20 and Congressman Lloyd Doggett of District 35 scored 100 on…
After Runoff, Three LGBT Texans Will Run for Congress
Three LGBT Congressional candidates from Texas scored victories in the Democratic Party runoff on May 22 and will now advance to face Republican challengers in the November election. Lorie Burch from Plano, Gina Ortiz Jones from San Antonio and Eric Holguin from Corpus Christi easily won their races with large majorities. One candidate, Mary Street…
Keeping Up with Gina Ortiz Jones, Who Wants to Unseat Congressman Will Hurd
Originally published in the San Antonio Current. Editor’s Note: Jade Esteban Estrada is the author of Glitter Political, a series of articles detailing San Antonio’s elections. As a professional homosexual, I admit to feeling a little star struck when I see Gina Ortiz Jones, candidate for Texas’ 23rd Congressional District, waving at me through the…
More LGBTQ Texans than ever are running for office, magazine says
By Rishika Dugyala, The Texas Tribune January 24, 2018 A self-described “gun-toting, truck-driving, true Republican,” Shannon McClendon avidly followed state politics and served as a five-time appointee for various boards under former Texas Gov. Rick Perry. But until now, she never pushed herself to run for elected office. “I’m a Republican who happens to be…
2017 in Review: A Year in the Life of LGBT SA
A select month-by-month recap of stories about our community reported here and elsewhere in 2017. JANUARY Jeffrey James is Fiesta Cornyation’s King Anchovy LII The board of directors of Fiesta Cornyation, billed as “the raunchiest, cheapest event of Fiesta,” announced in January that this year’s King Anchovy LII was Jeffrey James, the proprietor of James…
Equality PAC Endorses Gina Ortiz Jones in District 23 Congressional Race
Equality PAC, a political action committee formed by members of the Congressional LGBT Equality Caucus, is endorsing San Antonian Gina Ortiz Jones in the race for the 23rd Congressional District of Texas. “Gina Ortiz Jones is exactly the kind of candidate we need to gain a pro-equality majority in 2018,” Rep. Mark Takano (D-CA), the…
Lesbian Candidate Gina Ortiz Jones Challenges U.S. Rep. Will Hurd for District 23 Seat
The first candidate to challenge Republican Rep. Will Hurd for the Texas 23rd Congressional District seat is a native of San Antonio, an Air Force veteran, a former member of the National Intelligence community, and an out lesbian. In announcing her candidacy on August 2, Democrat Gina Ortiz Jones said, “I’m running to make sure everyone…
Election Analysis: There’s Work Ahead for LGBT Democrats in SA
By Dan Graney, Guest Contributor Most of us are still reeling over the unthinkable – a Donald Trump presidency. We are in a state of grief, not so much because the Republicans under Trump will have complete power in Washington but the bigotry which was espoused by Trump and many of his followers has now…