Carl Lewis, Gay Mayor Eye N.J. Senate

Track and field Olympian and legend Carl Lewis (pictured) and gay mayor Timothy J. Eustace have announced that they will seek election to the New Jersey state legislature.

Lewis, a Democrat, will face freshman Republican senator Dawn Marie Addiego in their conservative-leaning district in south New Jersey's Burlington County. He currently owns a home in the district and is a volunteer coach at a local high school.

"When I run, as you see my record, I run to win," he told reporters Monday. "I'm slower than I used to be, so you can probably keep up, but I'm going to be running."

In Bergen County, near New York City, Maywood mayor Eustace, nominated Sunday by the local Democratic Party, would be the first openly gay politician to be elected to the state legislature. According to The New York Times, the state's only openly gay legislator, assembly member Reed Gusciora, came out after 10 years in office.

He and Democratic assembly member Connie Wagner will face off against Republicans Richard S. Goldberg and Fernando Alonso for two open seats in their district.