HRC's Joe Solmonese Named Obama Campaign Co-Chair

Outgoing Human Rights Campaign (HRC) president Joe Solmonese has been named a national co-chair for President Obama’s re-election campaign.

Solmonese, who is scheduled to step down from the HRC next month, is one of 35 co-chairs announced on Wednesday.

Via The Advocate:

The varied list includes Senator Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), Massachusetts governor Deval Patrick, Caroline Kennedy, actress Eva Longoria, and former White House chiefs of staff Bill Daley and Rahm Emanuel, who was elected mayor of Chicago one year ago this week.

The co-chairs will advise on key issues and have also been brought on board to help mobilize voters.

Clearly by reaching out to Solmonese who, while a contentious figure for some in the LGBT community, has been the face of the largest gay rights campaign group for many years now, the Obama campaign has indicated its desire to capitalize on its mostly positive relationship with the LGBT community.

In terms of LGBT rights support, other names of note include Senator Dick Durbin, who is a co-sponsor to the Employment Non Discrimination Act, California’s Attorney General Kamala Harris who has advocated for allowing same-sex marriage during the Proposition 8 court battle, and Iowa’s Attorney General Tom Miller who supported the Iowa State Supreme Court’s reasoning in its 2009 decision that legalized same-sex marriage.

The full list of co-chairs appears below:

Lynnette Acosta – OFA volunteer leader from Florida
Marc Benioff – CEO of Salesforce.com
Senator Michael Bennet – U.S. Senator from Colorado
Mayor Julian Castro – Mayor of San Antonio
Governor Lincoln Chafee – Governor of Rhode Island
Ann Cherry – Retired teacher and OFA volunteer leader from North Carolina
Representative Judy Chu – Representing the 32nd District of California
Representative Emanuel Cleaver – Representing the 5th District of Missouri
Bill Daley – Former White House Chief of Staff to President Obama, former U.S. Secretary of Commerce
Maria Elena Durazo – Executive Secretary-Treasurer of the Los Angeles County Federation of Labor, AFL-CIO
Senator Dick Durbin – U.S. Senator from Illinois
Mayor Rahm Emanuel – Mayor of Chicago
Senator Russ Feingold – Former U.S. Senator from Wisconsin
Representative Charles A. Gonzalez – Representing the 20th District of Texas
Loretta Harper – High School Counselor and OFA volunteer leader from Nevada
Attorney General Kamala Harris – Attorney General of California
Sai Iyer – Student at Virginia Commonwealth University and OFA volunteer leader from Virginia
Caroline Kennedy – Author/President of the John F. Kennedy Library Foundation
Eva Longoria – Actress and Philanthropist
Felesia Martin – OFA volunteer leader from Wisconsin
Bishop Vashti McKenzie – African Methodist Episcopal Bishop
Attorney General Tom Miller – Attorney General of Iowa
Kalpen Modi – Actor/Former White House Associate Director for the Office of Public Engagement
Admiral John Nathman – Retired U.S. Navy Admiral
Governor Deval Patrick – Governor of Massachusetts
Secretary Federico Pena – Former U.S. Secretary of Transportation and U.S. Secretary of Energy
Elaine Price – Retired Ohio resident and OFA volunteer leader from Ohio
Penny Pritzker – Founder and CEO of PSP Capital Partners
John Register – U.S. Army Veteran and Paralympian
Representative Jan Schakowsky – Representing the 9th District of Illinois
Senator Jeanne Shaheen – U.S. Senator from New Hampshire
Joe Solmonese – President of the Human Rights Campaign
Alan Solow – Partner at DLA Piper LLP and past Chairman of the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations
Governor Ted Strickland – Former Governor of Ohio
Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa – Mayor of Los Angeles

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Joy D.

3:34PM PST on Feb 23, 2012

For all those showing their stupid side, know that not-so-stupid people move, when a legal opportunity presents itself - to take charge from within the confines of the White House Community/Actions. This is just one reason some are chosen - and some are not chosen.

send a green star

Dotti L.

11:25AM PST on Feb 23, 2012

Terry, I wish you would tell me more. I belong to HRC and would like more of your thoughts on
Joe Solmonese.

Cathryn C.

6:34AM PST on Feb 23, 2012

Kudos

Marianna B M.

5:39AM PST on Feb 23, 2012

thanks

Terry T.

4:28AM PST on Feb 23, 2012

I'm not overly thrilled with that. He represents the MONETARY interests, not the legitimate LGBT interest(as he proved by not fighting to Trans inclusion in anti discrimination laws).

Jennifer C.

4:56PM PST on Feb 22, 2012

Thanks.

Jane H.

2:13PM PST on Feb 22, 2012

So glad that the LGBT community has someone at the table.

Robert O.

2:06PM PST on Feb 22, 2012

Congratulations to Mr. Solmonese! He has a lot of experience and isnight that will no doubt serve him well as Campaign Co-Chair. I know of a lot of the people on the list of co-chairs and I'm sure they'll do a fantastic jobs. Best of luck and congrats to all of them. Thanks Steve!