Ill. Capital Elects Gay Alderman

Springfield, the capital city of Illinois, has its first openly gay city council member -- and he's a Republican.

Cory Jobe (pictured), deputy chief of staff to state comptroller Judy Baar Topinka, won election easily Tuesday in the city's sixth ward, with opposition only from write-in candidates -- Democrat Kent DeLay, who is also gay, and Republican Cameron Counts, reports Chicago's Windy City Times.The ward's incumbent alderman, Mark Mahoney, did not seek reelection.

Elsewhere in Illinois, not only did Chicago elect its second gay city council member, two suburbs with progressive reputations voted in gay candidates in municipal races this week. Richard Rykhus was elected to the Evanston school board, and Ray Johnson was reelected as an Oak Park village trustee.