Jul 6, 2009 12:05 pm US/Central
Activist Runs To Be First Openly Gay State Senator
Jim Madigan Runs In State Senate Seat That Was Just The Subject Of Heated Race
CHICAGO (CBS) ―
Attorney and gay rights activist Jim Madigan hopes to become the first openly gay Illinois State Senator next year, in a district that was just the subject of a heated contest barely a year ago.
Madigan, who is not related to State House Speaker Michael Madigan and his family, had been executive director of the gay rights group Equality Illinois. He has also been a civil rights attorney and an adjunct professor at the University of Chicago Law School, according to his Web site.
Madigan made his first campaign appearance for the 7th District seat by marching with supporters in the Gay Pride Parade late last month.
He will be up against incumbent Heather Steans, a political fundraiser and foundation manager in her first term in office.
Last year, Steans won the endorsement of former State Sen. Carol Ronen, who decided not to run for reelection, as well as U.S. Rep. Jan Schakowsky (D-Ill.), and several other elected officials.
But the Democratic primary in the district became a heated contest, when challenger Suzanne Elder claimed in her campaign that Steans had been "anointed" by Ronen.
But Steans won easily with 63 percent of the vote.
On his campaign Web site, Madigan says, "The first and most important step is to elect leaders based on merit – not based on money, or connections, or political machine bosses," but does not specify which officials he is referring to.
But Steans' Senate Web site also focuses on reform. In a message that appears to have been posted last year, she wrote, "I look forward to working on behalf of our diverse community and contributing a new voice to discussions on the policy reforms needed in our state."
Steans has not put up a new campaign Web site.
The 7th Senate District includes the Edgewater and Uptown neighborhoods, and parts of the Rogers Park, Lincoln Square, Bowmanville, Ravenswood and Northcenter neighborhoods.
(© MMIX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
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