Though they were under attack from NOM and local anti-gay 'pro-family groups, none of the Illinois Republicans who voted for marriage equality lost their primaries yesterday.
When the Illinois state House passed a
bill to legalize gay marriage last fall, just three out of 47
Republicans voted for it. On Tuesday, none of them lost. State Rep. Tom
Cross (R) cruised to a 14-point victory in the primary for state
treasurer while state Rep. Ed Sullivan (R) easily won renomination in
his district. The third, state Rep. Ron Sandack (R), narrowly edged out
his opponent by fewer than 200 votes, according to an unofficial tally.
The close margin could mean the race goes to a recount. Sandack and
Sullivan both faced pressure from third-party groups looking to oust
them over their gay marriage votes. In Sandack's case, the issue became a
central focus. Had the three Republicans lost, it would have probably
given pause to Republicans considering backing gay marriage in other
states where the matter comes up in the future. But given two decisive
wins and a third tentative victory, gay rights advocates have a lot to
be happy about a day after the election.
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