Patricia Todd wins in Alabama!!!

Patricia Todd is set to be the first openly lesbian member of the AL legislature after beating back a challenge to her win in the Democratic primary runoff (she has no Republican opponent in District 54 which is heavily Dem). She was challenged by her opponent Gaynell Hendricks' mother-in-law for filing her financial disclosure form late, even though no other candidate including her opponent did so and neither has any candidate since passage of the state's 1988 financial disclosure law.

Birmingham Blues has been following the race.

More....

It gets weirder as it goes. Hendricks, who is black, has played the race card heavily against Todd, who is white. The Birmingham district has a large black population, but is mixed racially and economically. When the challenge was heard by the appointed subcommittee on Thursday, both candidates were disqualified for not filing on time (although both filed before election day).

Today, the full State Democratic Executive Committee heard the challenge and voted 95-87 not to uphold the Subcommittee's recommendation, which should mean that Todd's primary win should stand and she will likely win the general election.

Kathy of Birmingham Blues reports:

Patricia was all smiles, and her supporters were ecstatic.  I walked out with party Executive Director Jim Spearman, who told me that Howard Dean had called eight times during the meeting to find out what happened.  He said he'd been on the phone with Dean all week, and that the DNC was frantic because of all the negative feedback.  People were ticked off, and no funds were coming in.

Chuck Wolfe of the Gay and Lesbian Victory Fund was quick to release a statement.

"Finally, the voters have prevailed. We are enormously proud of the courage and tenacity Patricia showed throughout this ordeal, and equally proud of her supporters in Alabama and beyond who stood by her unfailingly. The Victory Fund and its network of donors have worked to ensure Patricia had a level playing field and a fair chance to show that a qualified, committed public servant can win the trust of the voters regardless of her sexual orientation. We have no doubt her career in the legislature will reflect the same determination and skill she showed in her campaign."

This story has many twists and turns, with a lot of power-brokering, race-baiting, and unspoken homophobia. Many commenters are dismayed at the closeness of the vote because upholding the recommendation would have meant overturning the will of the voters. It would also have led to court challenges, which may still happen.

But for now, Patricia Todd is set to be the first openly gay or lesbian legislator in Alabama!!!