Councilman who
fought DP registry loses seat to gay candidate

A Cleveland Heights, Ohio, city council member who fought against the nation's first voter-approved domestic-partner registry has lost a bid for reelection to a candidate who is openly gay. The Reverend Jimmie Hicks Jr. lost Tuesday's election to Mark Tumeo. Hicks had sued to block the creation of the city's domestic-partner registry, which recognizes gay and unmarried heterosexual couples but confers no legal status or marriage rights. It was approved by voters in 2003 and ruled constitutional by a Cuyahoga County judge. In July the eighth Ohio district court of appeals upheld the ruling, but not before the city spent more than $100,000 to fight Hicks's lawsuit. About 120 couples have registered since the city began accepting applications. Registrations continued during the court challenge. Hicks, a minister in the Tennessee-based Church of God in Christ, said Wednesday that his battle "was political suicide." Cleveland Heights is located about 10 miles east of Cleveland. (AP)