May 23, 2010

Democrats back openly gay comptroller candidate


Kevin Lembo, left, and his spouse, Charles Frey, on their wedding day last year.

One little-noticed aspect of this weekend's conventions is that the Democrats nominated Kevin Lembo as their state comptroller candidate.
Lembo is the first openly gay candidate to gain party backing for a statewide office.
There will surely come a day when that's barely worth noting, but it says something about Connecticut that Democrats are pretty sure that a gay, married candidate can run for office and probably win.
Lembo, who served as assistant comptroller for seven years, is the state healthcare advocate. He's held the office since 2004.
To learn more about Lembo, check out his website here.
Lembo will face Darien businessman Jack Orchulli, the GOP's endorsed candidate. Orchulli is a former U.S. Senate candidate.
Lembo initially aimed at the lieutenant governor's slot, but switched to running for comptroller when Nancy Wyman agreed to run on the gubernatorial ticket with former Stamford Mayor Dan Malloy.
For what it's worth, I only mention that Lembo is openly gay because it's something new to  the top tier of Connecticut politics. I also have no doubt that some officials during the state's long history were privately gay, but that doesn't undermine the significance of the social change involved in Lembo's situation.
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Copyright 2010. All rights reserved. Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com

17 comments:

Anonymous said...

Will the Democrats now put forth a bill changing the name of the capitol from Hartford to Sodomford?

patti ewen said...

I thought you chose not to print STUPID remarks.

Steve Collins said...

Patti -- Stupid is allowed.

Anonymous said...

If Steve banned stupid remarks, the comments section of this blog would be mostly empty.

jim hopkins said...

With everything that transpired at the convention why is this something that becomes the story? Feel like Steve is inviting comments from the reactionary element that already dominates the discourse on this blog.
Can't we elivate the conversation?

Steve Collins said...

Jim -- Because it's news, that's why. What else happened that was underreported or not reported? I don't know of anything. But I'm always eager for something new.
And I don't see that the "reactionary element" has weighed in much on this.
Personally, I think it's another indication of how much our society has changed, for the better, that this really isn't that big a deal.

Anonymous said...

Not news...sorry...coming from a gay man!!!!

Anonymous said...

Homosexuals have done wonders for the Catholic church .... Can't wait to see what they do in Hartford .

Anonymous said...

I'm basically against the "gay agenda", that is the one of "gay marriage" and gays adopting kids and that sort of thing in regards to marriage and family. I'm against openly gay men in the military as well.
But as far as this position goes, I couldn't care less who he sleeps with. I just hope the guy is fiscally conservative and exercises good judgement on fiscal matters. One would assume his sexual orientation is the reason this guy is a Democrat (primarily because the Dems support the "gay agenda aformentioned in this post). This is an example of a decent candidate coming from the party of Marx, who doesn't necessarily adhere to the socialist agenda the leaders of his party do.

Anonymous said...

We'll know we've really progressed when the race or sexual orientation of a person is not in the news.

Anonymous said...

Please move out of Bristol.....

Anonymous said...

May 24, 2010 2:38 PM:

Bristol is not a city overly enthused with the gay agenda, so if you're referring to people of that like, perhaps you should consider a move out of Bristol you hypocritical piece of...

coming out for Steve said...

Steve: I find you to be one of the sexiest men alive.

Anonymous said...

Why is it when gay people want the same things in life that straight people want, it's called an "agenda"?

Anonymous said...

so what who care as long as he dosent waste my tax money, and shoots terrorists ill vote for him

Anonymous said...

May 25, 2010 12:16 AM:

Because they want to make new laws and change social norms.

Anonymous said...

Gay comptroller!
Gay comptroller!
Gay comptroller!