The Liberty City LGBT Democratic Club held its fall endorsement meeting last week to pick which candidates it will back in next month’s election.
After hearing from four candidates, the club voted to endorse all: Kimberly Rose for the Sixth District in the Pennsylvania Senate, Josh Maxwell for the 74th District in the Pennsylvania House and Mary Ellen Balchunis and Kevin Strouse for the Seventh and Eighth Congressional districts, respectively.
Tony Campisi, co-chair of Liberty City, said he was impressed by the regions the candidates are hoping to represent.
“All of the candidates were very supportive of LGBT issues. What surprised me the most was the fact that all them were coming from the suburbs outside Philly,” he said. “I think it shows that LGBT issues are important to people outside the urban center as well.”
The club also made several calls to action following the recent gay-bashing incident in Philadelphia.
They urged Senate Judiciary Committee chair Sen. Stewart Greenleaf (R-12th Dist.) and House Judiciary Committee chair Rep. Ron Marsico (R-105th Dist.) to move the LGBT-inclusive hate-crimes bills onto the floor for a vote. The House committee this week voted in favor of HB 177.
They also called for the Philadelphia-area representatives who have yet to sponsor the legislation to do so.