Massachusetts Former Lesbian Mayor to Run for MA State Senate

By Melanie Nathan, 2/19/10 – The first openly lesbian African-American mayor in the country has declared her candidacy in the MASS state senate race, reports the Advocate. The former mayor of Cambridge, Mass., E. Denise Simmons, was appointed by her colleagues on the Cambridge city council to serve as mayor for the 2008-2009 term. She is currently serving her fifth term on the council. Simmons, sworn in during 2008, was outed by a local newspaper early in her career.

She will run for the seat of Sen. Anthony D. Galluccio who was sentenced to a year in jail after being convicted of hit and run.

By all accounts Simmons has shown strong leadership qualities and may well be the one who can do the job to help the State “get back on track,” in a milieu of district and housing crunches and declined social services. Interested in the Campaign, please go to http://www.simmonsforsenatema.org/

“Dear Friends and Supporters,

Election Day is coming – Tuesday, April 13, 2010 — I will be knocking on doors, making telephone calls, attending Candidates Nights, and holding several gatherings. I will be posting events here and relevant news items.

Please e-mail me if you would like to be on my mailing list.

Thank you for what you have done and continue to do to get me elected.

Sincerely,

Denise Simmons”