California Log Cabin Republicans, the gay GOP group, has released its endorsements in competitive Republican primaries for June legislative races.
The endorsement list, which we've posted below, has touched off a debate on GOP blogs about whether such an endorsement helps or hurts.
"It has hard-core right-wingers scratching their heads," writes Scott Schmidt, a gay Republican activist, better known online as Boi from Troi.
The endorsement list includes everyone from Sen. Abel Maldonado to Assembly Republican leader Mike Villines.
On a Riverside County blog, Mike Spence, the president of the conservative California Republican Assembly, posted the endorsement of former Assemblyman Russ Bogh, a state Senate candidate.
"In politics some endorsements make you try to figure out what is going on. The Log Cabin Club just endorsed Russ Bogh for State Senate. Some of the endorsements make sense. Those who are gay and want to allow homosexual marriage in the state. I get that," wrote Spence. "What did Russ Bogh do to get the endorsement against John Benoit? I wish they would print a standard so we know the process. What bill did Russ vote for? Did he promise something?"
Another of the endorsees, Neil Blais, is locked in a tough Republican primary in Orange County.
The popular OC Blog posted the endorsement, which has already triggered 38 comments, many of which tried to distance Blais from the group.
"OUCH! Neil really didn't need this," wrote one anonymous commentator.
James Vaughn, the director of California Log Cabin, weighed in, writing, "We didn't endorse Blais for his stands on gay issues."
Quoting from an e-mail he sent to Blais, Vaughn wrote, "Our endorsement had to do with your GOP agenda, not your gay agenda (whatever that is…)"
Vaughn continued: "So not to worry homophobes everywhere. Blais isn't pro gay enough for us or anyone. We're looking at GOP issues. Now if the rest of you would kindly take your fat government intrusion into people's lives noses out of our bedroom we might start winning elections again."
The full list of Log Cabin candidates (including those race in which the group remained neutral) can be found here. The list of endorsed candidates is posted below:
SD1 DAVE COX
SD3 SASHI MCENTEE
SD13 SHANE PATRICK CONNOLLY
SD15 ABEL MALDONADO
SD17 GEORGE RUNNER
SD19 TONY STRICKLAND
SD23 LEONARD M. LANZI
SD25 LYDIA A. GUTIERREZ
SD33 HARRY SIDHU
SD35 TOM HARMAN
SD37 RUSS BOGH
AD2 PETE STIGLICH
AD3 SUE HORNE
AD5 ROGER NIELLO
AD10 PAUL HEGYI
AD13 HARMEET K. DHILLON
AD15 JUDY LLOYD
AD17 JACK MOBLEY
AD19 CATHERINE BRINKMAN
AD22 BRENT T. OYA
AD23 MARK S. PATROSSO
AD24 DOUG MCNEA
AD26 BILL BERRYHILL
AD29 MIKE VILLINES
AD33 SAM BLAKESLEE
AD34 CONNIE CONWAY
AD35 GREGORY GANDRUD
AD37 AUDRA STRICKLAND
AD38 CAMERON SMYTH
AD40 ARMINEH CHELEBIAN
AD41 MARK BERNSLEY
AD42 STEVEN MARK SION
AD45 PHILLIP ALEXANDER
AD53 THOMAS H. VIDAL
AD54 GABRIELLA HOLT
AD58 CARLOS A. GETINO
AD59 ANTHONY ADAMS
AD61 WENDY A. MAIER
AD64 BRIAN NESTANDE
AD67 JIM SILVA
AD71 NEIL C. BLAIS
AD73 DIANE L. HARKEY
AD75 NATHAN FLETCHER
AD76 RALPH DENNEY
AD78 JOHN MCCANN
AD80 GARY JEANDRON
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