A Night of Victories for LGBT Candidates

As voters in Ohio repealed a law limiting public worker collective bargaining rights and Mississippians rejected a "personhood" amendment, a field of openly LGBT candidates fared largely well Tuesday evening with victories across the country.

Among them:

-Democrat Adam Ebbin became Virginia's first openly gay state senator, defeating Republican opponent Timothy McGhee

-Houston mayor Annise Parker trounced several opponents and earned 51% of the vote to avoid a run-off, while Mike Laster became the city's first openly gay man elected to the city council

-Chris Seelbach won his bid for a seat on the Cincinnati City Council

-The city of Holyoke, Mass. elected 22-year-old Alex Morse over an incumbent 45 years his senior

-LaWana Mayfield became the first openly gay elected official in Charlotte, N.C., home of the upcoming 2012 Democratic National Convention

In San Francisco's mayoral race, incumbent Ed Lee currently maintains a substantial lead over a field of 16 opponents, including openly gay candidate Bevan Dufty.

Also in the Virginia senate races, gay Republican Patrick Forrest, whose campaign became the target of a whisper campaign about his sexual orientation, lost to Democratic incumbent State Sen. Janet Howell.