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The Illinois senator's message of “change” and “hope” resonated with more than 63.5 million voters, nearly 52 percent of Americans, netting him 349 electoral votes, well more than needed to propel him to victory. GOP Sen. John McCain, of Arizona, came away with about 56 million popular votes and 163 electoral votes.
“The National Gay & Lesbian Chamber of Commerce congratulates President-elect Obama on his historic achievement, and looks forward to working with the next administration to help bring prosperity back to American businesses, including the LGBT business community,” said Justin Nelson, co-founder and president of the NGLCC.
Obama comes to the presidency with substantial Democratic majorities in both the U.S. House and Senate, allowing him to aggressively press for the policies he touted during the presidential campaign, including major changes in foreign policy, health care and tax policy.
One of the new faces Obama will see on Capitol Hill is Jared Polis of Colorado. He joins Democratic Reps. Barney Frank of Massachusetts and Tammy Baldwin of Wisconsin in the U.S. House as the only openly LGBT member of Congress.
National LGBT groups cheered Obama’s election and the strengthening of the Democratic majorities in Congress. As Human Rights Campaign (HRC) President Joe Solmonese said in a written statement, “For the past eight years, 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue was a dead end for our community. Now the LGBT community and the entire social justice movement will have a voice at the highest level of government. Our years in the wilderness are over and this really is a change we can all truly believe in.”
With the economy still in tatters, Obama will not have the luxury of a victory lap, and his transition team will immediately begin working with the Bush administration to get up to speed regarding issues facing America right now, including efforts to bolster small businesses and entrepreneurs.
The NGLCC leadership says it will be at the table to ensure that LGBT small businesses and entrepreneurs are not forgotten as the Obama administration looks for solutions to the economy’s current woes. Whether it’s tax breaks, small business loans or a new approach to health care, NGLCC will be involved in the conversations.
“The NGLCC's ties to influential power brokers in both parties throughout the government will help us make the case for LGBT business owners as the new president and Congress tackle the nation's pressing economic issues," added Chance Mitchell, co-founder and CEO of the NGLCC.
Both Nelson and Mitchell served as advisors to the Obama campaign on LGBT issues; Nelson also advised the Democrat on small business issues, having served as a congressional aide before co-founding NGLCC.
The election also brought good news for LGBT officials and their allies. The Victory Fund announced Wednesday morning that dozens of local and state LGBT officials were elected to office in Tuesday’s elections, including Kate Brown, who will be Oregon’s next secretary of state.
“This was a watershed election. Our government became more representative and our democracy became stronger. As we near the 30th anniversary of the death of Harvey Milk, it’s enormously gratifying to see his dream realized in so many brave men and women heeding the call to run for office, and doing so openly, honestly and unafraid,” said Chuck Wolfe, president and CEO of the Victory Fund, in a written statement.
The LGBT community did suffer its share of losses Tuesday with the approval of gay-marriage bans in Arizona, California and Florida. Approval of California's Proposition 8, the most closely watched contest, is a stunning blow for the LGBT community, activists say. After the counting ended midday Nov. 5, opponents of gay marriage in California had secured their victory by a 52-48 margin.
