Openly gay Wisconsin Representative
Tammy Baldwin is being urged to run to succeed Wisconsin Senator Herb
Kohl, who announced on Friday he would not seek a fifth term in 2012.
Baldwin is among the four openly gay
lawmakers serving in the House. Also gay are David
Cicilline of Rhode Island, Barney Frank of Massachusetts and
Jared Polis of Colorado.
The 49-year-old Baldwin was first
elected to represent the people of Wisconsin's 2nd
congressional district in 1999. For 8 years prior she served in the
Wisconsin Assembly.
“She would become the nation's first
openly LGBT senator,” Kevin Naff, editor of gay weekly the
Washington Blade, wrote
in a post titled Run, Tammy Run! on Friday. “Emphasis
on 'openly,' of course, given the fairly long list of rumored-to-be
gay and closeted senators, including Barbara Mikulski, Larry Craig,
Lindsey Graham and Harris Wofford, among others.”
“Baldwin's move to the upper chamber
would mark historic progress and a new first for the country,” Naff
added.
Baldwin is a perennial favorite among
her constituents – she won 63% percent of the vote on November 2 –
but remains untested in a statewide election.