Sherrie Cohen just hit the trifecta of elections. The community organizer and LGBT candidate for City Council-at-Large just learned that she is one of only two Pennsylvania candidates who has been endorsed by the Gay and Lesbian Victory Fund; the other is Bruce Kraus, who is running for reelection to Pittsburgh City Council. Not only has Victory Fund endorsed Cohen’s candidacy, she is one of its “focus” candidates.
So if, like me, at first you didn’t believe that Cohen’s chances were good, it might be time to sit up and take note of her campaign, since it is about as hot as a campaign can get.
The Victory Fund is a national LGBT organization that works with out candidates to get them elected. Endorsement brings both funds and organizational support along with it. It is also a seal that says, “We believe this person is in a good place to win.”
As the Victory Fund itself stated, “Sherrie Cohen was endorsed by the Victory Fund Saturday at a meeting of our Victory Campaign Board. She’s among our “Focus Candidates” … as with all of the Victory Fund’s endorsements, the board’s decision to endorse means Cohen meets our endorsement criteria, among which is a requirement that the candidate must be deemed viable in the race.”
And the Victory Fund knows what it is doing: After all, this year the Victory Fund is celebrating 20 years of helping to elect openly LGBT candidates to public office. Since its founding, the number of out elected officials serving in the United States has gone from 49 to more than 400.
As to that trifecta. Cohen filed more signatures than any other citywide candidate from both parties for an at-large seat — and it’s a big field of more than 60 candidates in both Democrat and Republican parties. In the first financial filing of the campaign season, her campaign had raised more funds than any other candidate for an at-large seat. And, finally, she drew a top ballot spot. This campaign is really on a roll.
But let’s save the final word for the Victory Fund.
“It’s important to have authentic LGBT voices in government. People like Sherrie, who have the courage to step up and run for office while being open and honest about themselves, are making sure our community has a place at the table.”
Mark Segal is PGN publisher. He is the nation’s most-award-winning commentator in LGBT media, having received the 2010 Columnist of the Year Award from the 2,000-member Suburban Newspapers of America. He can be reached at [email protected].