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(Montgomery, Alabama) Patricia Todd was
reinstated Saturday as the Democratic Party's nominee for a seat in the Alabama
Legislature. The Alabama Democratic Party Executive Committee voted 95-87
to reject the ruling of a subcommittee two days ago that had voted to disqualify
Todd. (story)
Todd beat Gaynell Hendricks in the primary. But
Hendricks' mother-in-law filed an appeal filed with the Democratic Party
claiming that Todd timed the filing of her campaign finance report with the
Secretary of State's office shortly before the deadline to keep voters from
learning she was supported by the Victory Fund, a Washington DC-based
organization that helps the campaigns LGBT candidates.
Todd received $25,000
contribution from the Victory Fund.
The complaint also alleged that
Todd made payment of nearly $13,000 to two primary opponents
who later endorsed her in the runoff against Hendricks.
On Thursday a party committee discounted the
original complaint against Todd - instead ruling in a 5 - 0 decision that she
had violated a party regulation that finance reports be filed five days before a
primary with the party chair five days before the primary election.
The committee, however, also
found that Hendricks also had failed to file with the chair in
time and counted her out of the race too. In fact, no
candidate in the state has followed the rule since 1988.
Observers said the dispute
between the two Democrats had more to do with race than
sexuality. Todd is lesbian and white. Hendricks is
straight and black. Some key Democrats in Alabama were
alleged to have wanted Todd out because of her color.
Party chairman Joe Turnham said
that the key factor in Saturday's decision to overturn the
committee ruling was that no candidate had followed the
disclosure rule for nearly 20 years.
"I am relieved this is
over so I can get to work helping the people of my
district," Todd said after the meeting.
There is no Republican running
for the seat which means Todd will become the first lesbian to
sit in the Alabama legislature.
"Finally, the voters have
prevailed," said Victory Fund president Chuck Wolfe.
" We are enormously proud of the
courage and tenacity Patricia showed throughout this ordeal, and equally proud
of her supporters in Alabama and beyond who stood by her unfailingly."
The executive committee was
under considerable pressure to reinstate Todd.
The Birmingham News editorialized Saturday that the
state Democratic Party seemed to have a "death wish," calling the
effort to strip Todd of her nomination, "the dumbest thing Alabama
Democrats have done since 1986." That year the party nullified the primary
win of its gubernatorial nominee and installed another candidate. It
subsequently lost the governor's mansion to the Republicans for the first time
since Reconstruction.
©365Gay.com 2006
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