Apr 5, 2007 9:46 pm US/Pacific
Leno-Migden Battle Could Split Gays, Dems
by Hank Plante
SAN FRANCISCO (CBS 5) ―
An unprecedented political race in the Bay Area pits two prominent gay politicians -- also both Democrats -- against one another for the same state Senate seat in California.
The election isn't until next year, but Assemblyman Mark Leno, D-San Francisco, will need all that time if he wants to become known in the state Senate district which is split evenly between San Francisco, Marin, and Sonoma counties.
But the real split is with his gay colleague, who he's trying to knock out of office: incumbent State Sen. Carole Migden.
Leno will be termed-out in 2008, but Migden will not be.
When Leno was asked why he would not wait until Migden is out of office to run, he responded, "I've been saying that democracy is best served when voters have a choice, and if we in San Francisco have an opportunity to elect someone to the state senate, it would seem to be that we would want the very best."
For Migden, this gay-on-gay fight came as a surprise.
"I only came to learn of this race as you did, by learning about it," she said, adding that nonetheless, "We're here to rise to the challenge and fight."
Headlines in the gay papers have already called this "the clash of the Titans," and one gay community center leader said it's splitting the community.
"I don't know of any other race where you've had such prominent gay and lesbian candidates running against each other anywhere in the country," said Thom Lynch, Executive Director of the San Francisco Lesbian Gay Bisexual Transgender Community Center.
Leno and Migden's styles couldn't be any more different. In fact, the two candidates' styles are about the only things that differentiate the two.
They're both liberal Democrats in their 50s, both with impressive records of achievement in Sacramento.
Leno has a quieter style than Migden, and that's a big part of what he's running on.
But Migden said the rough-and-tumble world of politics sometimes calls for being brash.
"There's no question I can sometimes be tougher in mannerisms, and I'm demanding, and I whirl into action to get things done, to represent really bringing home returns for the people," she said. "It's combative. It's tough. It's hard to bring resources to lesbians and gays when we're in minority status."
The race will be combative, too. But if there's one silver lining in it, it may be that it shows how far the gay community has evolved politically: having two experienced candidates to battling for the same job.
The Democratic primary election isn't until next year.
(© MMVII, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
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