A relative rarity on America’s political scene nowadays, far-right Democratic Kansas state representative, Jan Pauls has beaten Erich Bishop, an openly gay son of a former KKK member in a primary election. According to the Kansas City Star, the primary election results were a mere eight votes apart. Now, the incumbent Pauls will run against a Republican with a record of support for LGBT rights and who is pro-choice.
Dakota Bass, a railroad worker, is Pauls’ challenger and once even belonged to a chapter of the Equality Coalition, according to the HuffingtonPost. It’s not clear yet whether that LGBT-rights group will support Bass in the general election. It had supported Bishop, Pauls” Democratic now-defeated challenger.
One thing is clear; neither Equality Coalition, nor any other LGBT-rights or marriage-equality supporters are likely to support the Democrat in the race. According to news reports, Jan Pauls has a reputation of consistent and strident opposition to anything favorable to gays, lesbians, bisexual people, and/or transgender Americans. She even authored the Kansas anti-marriage-equality law and has fought hard to keep its sodomy laws on the books.
“We still want her gone,” coalition executive director Thomas Witt told The Huffington Post. Witt said that incumbents normally win contested primaries in landslides. “Erich came within eight votes as a 28-year-old political newcomer. It is pretty clear that Democratic voters are looking for a change.”
Witt said the coalition has not decided whether or not to back Bass in the general election. Bass is a former board member of the Hutchison chapter of the Equality Coalition, which Witt said Bass joined to support his gay uncle.
Bass, a 20-year-old railroad conductor,told HuffPost in June that he considers himself “socially liberal” and a “fiscal conservative.” He said he favors same sex marriage, abortion rights, and is opposed to Gov. Sam Brownback’s (R) fiscal policies, including the tax cuts Brownback signed earlier this year. Witt said the coalition would review Bass’ positions before making a final decision on an endorsement.
The district contains 70 percent of Pauls’ former district and is considered by political observers to be a toss-up with a Democratic leaning. Pauls did not return a message left for comment at her home.
Pauls has established herself as Kansas’ leading opponent of LGBT issues. She authored the state’s ban on gay marriage and pushed for a constitutional amendment on the subject. Last year, Pauls was the leader of an effort to keep the state’s sodomy ban on the books and pushed to not expand the state’s civil rights laws to include sexual orientation.
“She basically single handily yanked that out of the bill,” a state legislator told HuffPost on background in June about Pauls’ work on the sodomy ban. “The act of being gay is against the law, though the law is unconstitutional, in the state of Kansas.”
Kansas Democratic Party spokesman Dakota Loomis told HuffPost that the party will support Pauls in November, even though she differs from the party’s stance on social issues. He said this is part of the party’s policy to support all Democratic nominees. He did note that the party would like Pauls to reconsider her beliefs, which he said are close to the lawmaker.
“The party and Jan Pauls have differences on these issues,” Loomis said. “We would like it if Jan Pauls were to reconsider her positions on this.”
Bass, a 20-year-old railroad conductor,told HuffPost in June that he considers himself “socially liberal” and a “fiscal conservative.” He said he favors same sex marriage, abortion rights, and is opposed to Gov. Sam Brownback’s (R) fiscal policies, including the tax cuts Brownback signed earlier this year. Witt said the coalition would review Bass’ positions before making a final decision on an endorsement.
The district contains 70 percent of Pauls’ former district and is considered by political observers to be a toss-up with a Democratic leaning. Pauls did not return a message left for comment at her home.
Pauls has established herself as Kansas’ leading opponent of LGBT issues. She authored the state’s ban on gay marriage and pushed for a constitutional amendment on the subject. Last year, Pauls was the leader of an effort to keep the state’s sodomy ban on the books and pushed to not expand the state’s civil rights laws to include sexual orientation.
“She basically single handily yanked that out of the bill,” a state legislator told HuffPost on background in June about Pauls’ work on the sodomy ban. “The act of being gay is against the law, though the law is unconstitutional, in the state of Kansas.”
Kansas Democratic Party spokesman Dakota Loomis told HuffPost that the party will support Pauls in November, even though she differs from the party’s stance on social issues. He said this is part of the party’s policy to support all Democratic nominees. He did note that the party would like Pauls to reconsider her beliefs, which he said are close to the lawmaker.
“The party and Jan Pauls have differences on these issues,” Loomis said. “We would like it if Jan Pauls were to reconsider her positions on this.”
She is a big old fat lesbian ,who hates her own kind ! What the hell ???? I can”t believe ima say this but , I HOPE TO HELL SHE LOSES !