The Tampa Bay area's two out politicians are collecting funds to fuel their 2012 bids for office. Steve Kornell and Kevin Beckner are looking to retain their seats on the St. Petersburg City Council and the Hillsborough County Commission, respectively.
â┚¬Å”If it seems like we just won an election, it's because we just did,â┚¬Â Kornell said at a kick off event in March. Kornell was elected to a partial term created by former council member Jamie Bennet, who ran unsuccessfully for mayor.
â┚¬Å”I was humbled by the amount of support we had during our last campaign with over 200 volunteers and I am thrilled to see the same enthusiasm beginning to emerge.â┚¬ÂÂ
In 2008, Beckner secured his seat on the Hillsborough County Commission with a grassroots campaign that helped unseat incumbent Brian Blairâ┚¬â€Âwho had a history of anti-gay votes.
Since taking office, Beckner has focused a lot of fiscal responsibility, along with human rights issues. It was at his first official meting as a county commissioner that he discovered a hidden earmark of $2.3 million from former Supervisor of Elections Buddy Johnson.
Both elected officials are the first openly gay politicians elected to posts in Tampa Bay. Fundraisers are forthcoming for both and information is available by searching by their respective names on Facebook.
â┚¬Å”I've been honored to serve this great city, and I look forward to continuing to serve the residents of St. Pete,â┚¬Â Kornell said about his upcoming campaign.
