LGBT Candidates in Close, Controversial, and Trailblazing Local and State Races

Carl DeMaio — San Diego Mayor
While San Diego is one of California's more conservative cities, its exiting mayor, Jerry Sanders, is a Republican who has also been a vocal advocate for marriage equality, winning him support from LGBT residents. In the race to succeed him, gay Republican Carl DeMaio may receive less support from LGBT voters who have backed Sanders, as many of them prefer his Democratic opponent, Bob Filner. DeMaio was not the Log Cabin Republicans' first choice for the mayoralty, and the Gay and Lesbian Victory Fund did not endorse him. While Sanders played a prominent role in the campaign against Proposition 8 in 2008, DeMaio stayed quiet on the issue during his City Council race, the The New York Times notes. Still, DeMaio is running with the full support of the city's Republican Party, and his opponent says DeMaio is "beholden to these antigay financial interests."