The First Openly Lesbian U.S. Senator?

U.S. Rep. Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.) has won every election
she has contested as an openly gay candidate

With the news that U.S. Senator Herb Kohl (D-Wis.) has announced his retirement, all eyes have turned to openly lesbian Congressmember Tammy Baldwin who has signaled her interest in running for the soon-to-be-open Senate seat.

If she wins, Baldwin would become the highest openly LGBT elected official in the United States. The Victory Fund, which supports openly LGBT candidates for elected office, had this to say:

“This would obviously be a top priority for us.  Tammy Baldwin has been an outstanding congresswoman, and she’d be an outstanding senator,” said Chuck Wolfe, president and CEO of the Gay & Lesbian Victory Fund, which has endorsed Baldwin repeatedly.  In 1998, when Baldwin became the first openly LGBT candidate to win election to the U.S. Congress as a freshman, the Victory Fund raised nearly a quarter million dollars for her campaign.

“This would be a remarkable milestone for LGBT Americans.  Congresswoman Baldwin is one of the most admired public officials I know.  She would have the strong support of those who want to see our economy work for all Americans, and who believe that all voices deserve a place at the table,” Wolfe said.

There is a petition urging Tammy Baldwin to run, along with the twitter hashtag #runtammyrun.