News
Gay candidate Chris Pappas prevails in N.H. congressional primary
N.H. executive takes Dem nomination to run for Carol Shea-Porter’s seat
Chris Pappas won the congressional primary in New Hampshire. (Photo courtesy Pappas)
Pappas claimed a plurality of 42.4 percent of the vote in the bid for the Democratic nomination to represent New Hampshire’s 1st congressional district in Congress. The Associated Press declared Pappas the winner of the primary at 9:05 pm.
Pappas, who has served as a member of New Hampshire’s executive council since 2013, is running to replace Rep. Carol Shea-Porter (D-N.H.), who had announced she won’t seek election for another term in Congress.
Among Pappas’ competitors in in the crowded 11-way primary was Levi Sanders, the son of Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.). The senator is popular in New Hampshire and beat Hillary Clinton in the New Hampshire 2016 presidential primary.
In a Q&A with the Washington Blade in May, Pappas made opposition to President Trump a key component of his campaign message, saying he’d work to confront him as a member of Congress.
“The America we know is more kind, tolerant, and more decent than the America that Donald Trump is seeking to create,” Pappas said. “We have to stand up loudly and clearly and make it known that we are going to fight for the values that make this country great. We are going to fight to stem the tide of corruption in our political system, fight for folks who work hard in life to make their American Dream a reality, and start putting the people of this country first.”
Among the LGBT organizations that had endorsed Pappas were the Equality PAC, the political action committee for LGBT House members, and the LGBTQ Victory Fund. The Human Rights Campaign had yet to endorse Pappas at the time of primary.
Annise Parker, CEO of the LGBTQ Victory Fund, said in a statement her organization believes Pappas will faithfully represent the voters of New Hampshire upon his election to Congress in November.
“Democratic primary voters are demanding authentic, values-driven leaders who prioritize policies over politics – and they found that leader in Chris,” Pappas said. “He was born and raised in the district, is a fierce advocate for fairness and equality, and will fight tirelessly to push forward policies that advance those principles. We need change in Washington, and a November victory for Chris is critical to securing a pro-equality majority in the next U.S. Congress.”
The winner of the Republican nomination for the congressional race was Eddie Edwards, a Navy veteran who was formerly chief of police for the town of South Hampton and director of the New Hampshire Liquor Commission Enforcement Division. Edwards was endorsed by the Trump administration and former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani.
Political observers have rated the New Hampshire’s 1st congressional district as leaning towards Democrats. With the Democratic nomination in hand and the expectation of a “blue” wave in November, Pappas’ chances of claiming victory are good, but not guaranteed.
Politics
George Santos sentenced to 87 months in prison for fraud case
Judge: ‘You got elected with your words, most of which were lies.’
Disgraced former Republican congressman George Santos was sentenced to 87 months in prison on Friday, after pleading guilty last year to federal charges of wire fraud and aggravated identity theft.
“Mr. Santos, words have consequences,” said Judge Joanna Seybert of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York. “You got elected with your words, most of which were lies.”
The first openly gay GOP member of Congress, Santos became a laughing stock after revelations came to light about his extensive history of fabricating and exaggerating details about his life and career.
His colleagues voted in December 2023 to expel him from Congress. An investigation by the U.S. House Ethics Committee found that Santos had used pilfered campaign funds for cosmetic procedures, designer fashion, and OnlyFans.
Federal prosecutors, however, found evidence that “Mr. Santos stole from donors, used his campaign account for personal purchases, inflated his fund-raising numbers, lied about his wealth on congressional documents and committed unemployment fraud,” per the New York Times.
The former congressman told the paper this week that he would not ask for a pardon. Despite Santos’s loyalty to President Donald Trump, the president has made no indication that he would intervene in his legal troubles.
Maryland
A Baltimore theater educator lost jobs at Johns Hopkins and the Kennedy Center
Tavish Forsyth concluded they could not work for Trump
BY WESLEY CASE | Tavish Forsyth had come to a conclusion: They could not work for President Donald Trump.
So the 32-year-old Baltimore resident stripped down, turned on their camera, and lit their career on fire.
“F—— Donald Trump and f—— the Kennedy Center,” a naked Forsyth, an associate artistic lead at the Washington National Opera’s Opera Institute, which is run by the Kennedy Center, said in a video that went viral. The board of the nation’s leading cultural institution had elected Trump just weeks prior as its chairman after he gutted the board of members appointed by his predecessor, President Joe Biden.
The rest of this article can be read on the Baltimore Banner’s website.
District of Columbia
Little Gay Pub to host April 25 celebration of life for Patrick Shaw
School teacher, D.C. resident praised for ‘warmth, humor, kindness’
Co-workers and friends will hold a celebration of life for highly acclaimed schoolteacher and D.C. resident Patrick Shaw beginning at 5:30 p.m. Friday, April 25 at The Little Gay Pub 1100 P St., N.W.
Little Gay Pub co-owner and Shaw’s friend, Dusty Martinez, said Shaw passed away unexpectedly on April 19 from a heart related ailment at the age of 60.
“Patrick touched so many lives with his warmth, humor, kindness, and unmistakable spark,” Martinez said. “He was a truly special soul – funny, vibrant, sassy, and full of life and we are heartbroken by his loss.”
In an Instagram posting, Shaw’s colleagues said Shaw was a second-grade special education teacher at the J.F. Cook campus of D.C.’s Mundo Verde Bilingual Public Charter School.
“Patrick brought warmth, joy, and deep commitment to Mundo Verde,” his colleagues said in their posting. “His daily Broadway sing-alongs, vibrant outfits, and genuine love for his students filled our community with energy and laughter.”
The posted message adds, “Patrick was more than a teacher; he was a light in our school, inspiring us all to show up with heart, humor, and kindness every day. His spirit will be deeply missed.”
The Washington Blade is preparing a full obituary on Patrick Shaw to be published soon.
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