Election 09 LGBT wrap-up: K'zoo wins, Maine loses, WA looks good

Tuesday's election was a mixed bag for LGBT Americans. Voters repealed Maine's same-sex marriage law, approved Kalamazoo's nondiscrimination ordinance, and may have extended the Washington state domestic partnership law. They elected openly gay and lesbian mayors and city council members, along with anti-gay governors.

On the local scene, Luke Hopkins, a democrat, appears to be the new mayor of Fairbanks, beating the socially conservative Tammie Wilson, who is rumored to be anti-gay. (Both are heterosexual.)

As for LGBT issues around the country, here is the good and bad news.

Bad News:

It looks like Maine's same-sex marriage law, passed by the legislature and signed by the governor, will be repealed by the will of the homophobes.

Anti-gay Republican Chris Christie unseated Democrat Jon Corzine in New Jersey's gubernatorial race.

Good News:

Kalamazoo, Michigan voters approved an LGBT nondiscrimination ordinance, similar to the Anchorage ordinance vetoed by Mayor Sullivan. Congratulations to K'zoo!

The vote for the Washington state domestic partnership extension hasn't been called yet, but is currently winning.

Chapel Hill, North Carolina elected Mark Kleinschmidt, a gay man, as mayor.

Charles Pugh, a gay African American, was elected president of the Detroit City Council.

Annise Parker, a lesbian, was the front-runner in today's mayoral election in Houston, Texas and will face the second candidate in a December runoff.

In Georgia, lesbian City Council members Kathi de Nobriga and Melanie Hammet were re-elected in Pine Lake, and Brian Bates, an openly gay Republican, was re-elected to the Doraville City Council.

Stan Penfold became the first openly-gay member of the Salt Lake City Council. In recent years, SLC has elected three gay state legislators.

North Carolina, Texas, Georgia, Michigan, Utah. Conservative states electing openly-gay and lesbian political candidates. Conservative states with progressive populations concentrated in one or two big cities and the capitol. States like Alaska...

Overall, we're not there yet on marriage equality, but things are getting better for gay candidates.

So, who is going to run as the first openly gay and lesbian candidates in Alaska?