Moseley Braun skips LGBT meeting; candidate focused on financial woes
Wed. January 5, 2011 7:53 AM by GoPride.com News Staff
Chicago, IL -
Chicago mayoral candidate Carol Moseley Braun on Tuesday disappointed gay and lesbian supporters when she missed a scheduled meet and greet.
About 45 supporters gathered at Downtown Bar & Lounge, 440 N. State, where Braun was a no-show, according to Gary Barlow of Gay Chicago.
Braun eventually spoke to the crowd on a speaker phone.
The former U.S. senator and ambassador spent most of Tuesday avoiding media and public appearances after portions of her most recent federal tax returns were released. On Monday she told reporters that she would not release her taxes "because I don't want to."
Recent tax returns indicate Braun is struggling financially, with net income of only about $15,000 in 2009 and losses of $225,000 the year before, according to the Chicago Tribune.
Braun, who was the first African-American woman senator in 1992, became the "consensus" black candidate in Chicago's mayoral race after U.S. Rep Danny Davis withdrew from the race on New Year's Eve. Sen. James Meeks had agreed to withdraw previously.
Braun has said she has a deeply personal understanding of civil rights issues, including gay and lesbian rights.
Braun and several other high-profile Chicago mayoral candidates, including former White House chief of staff Rahm Emanuel and Gery Chico, endorsed the recently passed Illinois Civil Unions legislation.
Race for Mayor, The Gay Vote: As this race continues to heat up, ChicagoPride.com will launch a series of mayoral profiles to run on this site in the coming weeks, spotlighting each of the major candidates' past records on LGBT issues and their proposals for our city's future.
About 45 supporters gathered at Downtown Bar & Lounge, 440 N. State, where Braun was a no-show, according to Gary Barlow of Gay Chicago.
Braun eventually spoke to the crowd on a speaker phone.
The former U.S. senator and ambassador spent most of Tuesday avoiding media and public appearances after portions of her most recent federal tax returns were released. On Monday she told reporters that she would not release her taxes "because I don't want to."
Recent tax returns indicate Braun is struggling financially, with net income of only about $15,000 in 2009 and losses of $225,000 the year before, according to the Chicago Tribune.
Braun, who was the first African-American woman senator in 1992, became the "consensus" black candidate in Chicago's mayoral race after U.S. Rep Danny Davis withdrew from the race on New Year's Eve. Sen. James Meeks had agreed to withdraw previously.
Braun has said she has a deeply personal understanding of civil rights issues, including gay and lesbian rights.
Braun and several other high-profile Chicago mayoral candidates, including former White House chief of staff Rahm Emanuel and Gery Chico, endorsed the recently passed Illinois Civil Unions legislation.
Race for Mayor, The Gay Vote: As this race continues to heat up, ChicagoPride.com will launch a series of mayoral profiles to run on this site in the coming weeks, spotlighting each of the major candidates' past records on LGBT issues and their proposals for our city's future.