Two gay candidates
running for House seats have together raised $300,000 for their
campaigns for the quarter ending June 30. Gay Palm Springs
mayor Steve Pougnet said he has raised more than $200,000 in
the second quarter for his 2010 U.S. congressional race.
Anthony Woods, an Iraq War veteran campaigning for
California's 10th District, reported earning $100,000.
Pougnet is running
against incumbent Mary Bono Mack, a Republican who won the
district with 58% of the vote in November. The Victory Fund, an
organization that supports LGBT political candidates, announced
its endorsement of Pougnet and 14 others last month. If
elected, Pougnet could become the fourth openly gay member of
Congress. According to the Victory Fund, Pougnet is a strong
proponent of alternative energy solutions, eco-friendly
technology, and job creation. He also has worked with Lambda
Legal, the Family Equality Council, the Human Rights Campaign,
and Equality California.
Bono Mack has not
disclosed her earnings for the second quarter, but her campaign
has a total of $354,000 in cash on hand, according to the
Federal Election Commission.
Woods has secured 800
donations for the special election against Lt. Gov. John
Garamendi, which a statement from his
campaign says is "notable considering that
Garamendi has been campaigning for offices across California
for more than 30 years."
The 10th District
special election is to replace Rep. Ellen Tauscher,
who vacated her seat to accept a post with the U.S.
State Department.
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