Colorado House Race, Out Servicemember is a First
Posted by | Today, in the 28th House District in Colorado, a little bit of history is being made as Brian Carroll announces his candidacy for the 2012 election for the seat. An Army veteran still serving in the Colorado National Guard, Carroll appears to be the first out gay servicemember to run for office after the repeal of "Don't Ask, Don't Tell."
According to a news release announcing his candidacy, Carroll served two tours in Afghanistan and one Iraq with Army Special Forces Information Management Division, Special Operations Command. After six years of active duty, Carroll returned to Colorado and joined the Colorado Army National Guard, 19th Special Forces Group.
In the release, Carroll noted, "As far as I know I am the first out Veteran and active National Guardsman in the country to officially run for office since the repeal of 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell.'"
Under the process engaged after the enactment of the Don't Ask, Don't Tell Repeal Act, DADT officially ended -- the law that mandated the policy was repealed -- on Sept. 20.
After returning to Colorado, Carroll worked in the office of Sen. Mark Udall (D-Colo.) as a veterans affairs specialist, where he assisted military and veteran constituents with cases pertaining to healthcare, housing and the Department of Veterans Affairs and became active in the repeal process of DADT.
"I am proud of the work that I did fighting alongside Mark Udall and the thousands of Service Members nationwide to repeal 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell.' I will continue to fight for equality, serving my country and our great state of Colorado in the Army National Guard while exercising my right to run for public office," he said in the statement. "I look forward to a robust and energetic campaign where I will have the opportunity to engage the voters and constituents of House District 28 to hear their concerns and hopes for a better future.
Due to redistricting, two current state representatives will be running allowing with Carroll and any other challengers for the seat: state Reps. Ken Summers (R) and Andy Kerr (D). Under the state's term-limit law, however, both Summers and Kerr could only serve one more term.
Although Carroll appears to be the first candidate who can be both out and a servicemember and not risk discharge from the military, he is not alone among gay people who have served in the military and run for office.
Anthony Woods, a U.S. Army veteran who served in Iraq, was a West Point graduate who served with distinction in the Army but was discharged under DADT in 2008. He ran for Congress in a California special election in September 2009 to fill the vacancy created when Ellen Tauscher resigned from the House to join the State Department. Although the Democrat lost to the then-lieutenant governor, Rep. John Garamendi (D-Calif.), his race garnered significant positive media attention.
A decade earlier, in 1999, a Republican in the Arizona state house, then-Rep. Steve May (R), came out in a speech on the floor of the state house. Still serving in the U.S. Army Reserve at the time, the Army began discharge proceedings against him. After he challenged the discharge recommendation of an Army panel, the Army dropped the case and reached a settlement allowing May to serve out his term as a reservist until May 2001.
metroweekly.com
[Photo: Carroll (Photos courtesy of Colorado for Carroll; use of his military rank, job titles and photographs in uniform does not imply endorsement from the Department of Defense or the U.S. Army.)]
According to a news release announcing his candidacy, Carroll served two tours in Afghanistan and one Iraq with Army Special Forces Information Management Division, Special Operations Command. After six years of active duty, Carroll returned to Colorado and joined the Colorado Army National Guard, 19th Special Forces Group.In the release, Carroll noted, "As far as I know I am the first out Veteran and active National Guardsman in the country to officially run for office since the repeal of 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell.'"
Under the process engaged after the enactment of the Don't Ask, Don't Tell Repeal Act, DADT officially ended -- the law that mandated the policy was repealed -- on Sept. 20.
After returning to Colorado, Carroll worked in the office of Sen. Mark Udall (D-Colo.) as a veterans affairs specialist, where he assisted military and veteran constituents with cases pertaining to healthcare, housing and the Department of Veterans Affairs and became active in the repeal process of DADT.
"I am proud of the work that I did fighting alongside Mark Udall and the thousands of Service Members nationwide to repeal 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell.' I will continue to fight for equality, serving my country and our great state of Colorado in the Army National Guard while exercising my right to run for public office," he said in the statement. "I look forward to a robust and energetic campaign where I will have the opportunity to engage the voters and constituents of House District 28 to hear their concerns and hopes for a better future.Due to redistricting, two current state representatives will be running allowing with Carroll and any other challengers for the seat: state Reps. Ken Summers (R) and Andy Kerr (D). Under the state's term-limit law, however, both Summers and Kerr could only serve one more term.
Although Carroll appears to be the first candidate who can be both out and a servicemember and not risk discharge from the military, he is not alone among gay people who have served in the military and run for office.
Anthony Woods, a U.S. Army veteran who served in Iraq, was a West Point graduate who served with distinction in the Army but was discharged under DADT in 2008. He ran for Congress in a California special election in September 2009 to fill the vacancy created when Ellen Tauscher resigned from the House to join the State Department. Although the Democrat lost to the then-lieutenant governor, Rep. John Garamendi (D-Calif.), his race garnered significant positive media attention.
A decade earlier, in 1999, a Republican in the Arizona state house, then-Rep. Steve May (R), came out in a speech on the floor of the state house. Still serving in the U.S. Army Reserve at the time, the Army began discharge proceedings against him. After he challenged the discharge recommendation of an Army panel, the Army dropped the case and reached a settlement allowing May to serve out his term as a reservist until May 2001.
metroweekly.com
[Photo: Carroll (Photos courtesy of Colorado for Carroll; use of his military rank, job titles and photographs in uniform does not imply endorsement from the Department of Defense or the U.S. Army.)]
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