Top Ala. Democrat accused in Todd challenge

[Sapphocrat]

The lesbian victor in the Democratic runoff for a legislative seat in Alabama called on the party Wednesday to throw out a contest challenging her victory, claiming it was wrongly funded by a powerful black party leader who wants a black candidate to win the position.

Patricia Todd, a white woman seeking to become the first openly gay member of the Alabama legislature, said party vice-chairman Joe Reed personally paid for a challenge filed on behalf of her black opponent, Gaynell Hendricks.

Reed, longtime chairman of the Alabama Democratic Conference, the party's black caucus, denied that he or the ADC paid the contest fee for Hendricks.

Before Todd's 59-vote win over Hendricks on July 18, Reed distributed a letter in which he urged black leaders to support Hendricks because of her race.

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"I cannot stand by as one person, Dr. Joe Reed, attempts to hold the Alabama Democratic Party hostage just because he doesn't like the outcome of the race in District 54," she said.

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More:
http://www.planetout.com/news/article.html?2006/08/17/2

[Ken Burch]

1. Good luck to Ms. Todd.

God,I hate splits like these.

[jody]

2. Reed does have political power and IMO he is not above such schemes as

Todd alleges.