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SALT LAKE CITY -- An interesting twist to a Utah State Legislative race: An openly-gay Republican candidate is running for the Senate seat that represents the Avenues and Capitol Hill areas.
Democrat Ben McAdams inherited the office from former Sen. Scott McCoy last year. He is now facing the head of the Log Cabin Republicans, Mel Nimer, in a race where the candidates' sexual preference may or may not be that big of a deal.
By the time McCoy left the Senate, he was known for much more than being gay. Ben McAdams serves the 2nd Senate District now. As a Democrat, he's heterosexual and a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and is taking on some of the same causes McCoy did.
Nimer, who was named McAdam's opponent after a previous candidate dropped out, is a Republican but openly gay. Both have a strong alliance with the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) community.
"My reputation in the LGBT community is someone who has worked tirelessly to advance issues important to them, starting with Mayor Becker in his partner registry and non-discrimination ordinances last year," McAdams says.
"Part of our challenge is to show them that, as Republicans, we can still offer our community the same coverage, representation on the Hill, that they're looking for; that you don't have to be a Democrat to do that," says Republican challenger Mel Nimer.
The politically-active group Equality Utah has already endorsed McAdams, primarily because of his work on Salt Lake City's non-discrimination ordinances. The group's executive director, Brandie Balken, calls McAdams a great advocate for the community.
But Balken also says Nimer would be OK too. She says Neimer is an important part of the LGBT community and offers a lot.
So, it may actually be something other than gay issues that voters in the 2nd Senate District will be looking at when they vote.
"My stance on the environment, on supporting education, on air quality and ethics reform; all those are issues important to the district," McAdams says.
"Jobs, job creation, education, education, immigration; all of the hot-button issues are what we're going to be talking about in the campaign," Nimer says. "I don't think gay-lesbian issues are going to be the main focus at all."
Nimer is getting a late start on the campaign, but he says he plans on giving McAdams a run for his money.
E-mail: rpiatt@ksl.com
