Out Senator Tammy Baldwin to face Leah Vukmir in November
Fri. August 17, 2018 8:35 AM by Carlos Santoscoy
Wisconsin state Senator Leah Vukmir will face out Senator Tammy Baldwin in November after Vukmir won Tuesday's Republican primary.
Vukmir received 49 percent of the vote, compared to 42 percent going for Kevin Nicholson, who had the backing of former White House strategist Steve Bannon.
Baldwin served two terms in the House before being elected to the Senate in 2013, making her the first openly gay person elected to the U.S. Senate.
During her 16 years in the Wisconsin legislature, Vukmir has compiled a history of voting against LGBT rights.
After the Republican Party of Wisconsin endorsed Vukmir's campaign, the Human Rights Campaign (HRC), the nation's largest LGBT rights advocate, said that she was "out of touch with the majority of Wisconsinites who support equality."
"Leah Vukmir has no place in the United States Senate," said HRC Wisconsin State Manage Wendy Strout. "She has consistently worked to undermine LGBTQ equality, and built a disturbing record that demonstrates a long standing hostility to some of Wisconsin's most marginalized and vulnerable communities."
The group said that Vukmir has close ties to the Family Research Council (FRC), a Christian conservative group vocally opposed to LGBT rights, and had voted against LGBT protections, including protections for LGBT students facing bullying at school, and is opposed to marriage equality.
According to an NBC News/Marist poll released in July, Baldwin leads Vukmir by 17 percentage points (55-38%).
Vukmir received 49 percent of the vote, compared to 42 percent going for Kevin Nicholson, who had the backing of former White House strategist Steve Bannon.
Baldwin served two terms in the House before being elected to the Senate in 2013, making her the first openly gay person elected to the U.S. Senate.
During her 16 years in the Wisconsin legislature, Vukmir has compiled a history of voting against LGBT rights.
After the Republican Party of Wisconsin endorsed Vukmir's campaign, the Human Rights Campaign (HRC), the nation's largest LGBT rights advocate, said that she was "out of touch with the majority of Wisconsinites who support equality."
"Leah Vukmir has no place in the United States Senate," said HRC Wisconsin State Manage Wendy Strout. "She has consistently worked to undermine LGBTQ equality, and built a disturbing record that demonstrates a long standing hostility to some of Wisconsin's most marginalized and vulnerable communities."
The group said that Vukmir has close ties to the Family Research Council (FRC), a Christian conservative group vocally opposed to LGBT rights, and had voted against LGBT protections, including protections for LGBT students facing bullying at school, and is opposed to marriage equality.
According to an NBC News/Marist poll released in July, Baldwin leads Vukmir by 17 percentage points (55-38%).
Article provided in partnership with On Top Magazine