Rehoboth: Gay-friendly and Now, Gay Representation
At the conclusion of voting on Saturday,
August 10, Rehoboth Beach residents had elected Mark Aguirre as the
city’s first openly gay city commissioner.
Aguirre tallied 520 votes to secure one
of two commissioners’ seats in the three-way race. Incumbent Betty Ann
Kane finished first with 528 votes to maintain her seat. Joe Hill, the
other
challenger, received 459 votes.
Aguirre, who lost his bid for a city
commission seat last year by a mere nine votes, was relieved and
enthusiastic after the victory.
“I really didn’t do anything
different this year with one exception,” said Aguirre. “I did a lot
more canvassing and discovered that my opponents did very little. I bet
I’ve talked to more people in the community over the last two years
than anyone else.”
Still, a victory was by no means a sure
thing.
The day before the election, the Cape
Gazette, a widely-read weekly that covers Delaware’s cape region,
officially endorsed Kane and Hill over Aguirre.
“I was disappointed with their
reasoning,” Aguirre said. “The editorial implied that individuals
who have been around a long time have better connections because they
can simply pick up a phone to ‘get things done.’ But that’s
exactly what I’m trying to change. In city government, it shouldn’t
be ‘who you know’ to get things done.”
The editorial probably cost him a few
votes, admitted Aguirre.
“I have a lot of respect for the folks
who run the Gazette because they have endorsed a gay candidate
before,” Aguirre said. “In this case, it was a matter of
perspectives.”
There was “absolutely no drawback” in
running as an openly gay candidate, according to Aguirre.
“My election proves that what matters
most to voters is what a candidate can do for the city, not personal
differences,” said Aguirre. “I’ve not deviated from the points of
my campaign, a campaign which includes all residents of Rehoboth
Beach.”
Aguirre’s campaign platform focused on
three issues— downtown revitalization, managing traffic congestion,
and neighborhood preservation.
Partners Rick McReynolds and Scott
Standiford voted for Aguirre because he offered a “good balance.”
“His stance on rescinding the ban on
vending machines was reason enough to vote for him,” said McReynolds.
The city has passed legislation banning outdoor vending machines
effective next spring. “If it’s 95 degrees and you’re on the
beach, it’s absolutely ridiculous not to be able to find a soda. I
don’t want a town with laws that are so bluenose it endangers human
welfare,” McReynolds stated.
Hoyt Decker and his wife were so
impressed with Aguirre, they volunteered to work on his campaign.
“We’ve been impressed with Mark’s
level of sincerity and willingness to listen and act on what people are
interested in,” Decker said. “The current commissioners have been
obsessed with esthetics, like the ban on vending machines. Whereas, Mark
has been more open and actually has worked out a compromise to the
situation.”
“I voted for Mark because he’s
gay,” proclaimed Dolph Spain. “Rehoboth has a large gay community
and it’s time we were represented. But make no mistake, if I didn’t
think Mark could represent the entire city then I wouldn’t have voted
for him.”
Aguirre, who began his three-year term on
August 19, is anxious to get to work.
“I have to balance my desires with how
aggressive I should be as the new member and what’s best to actually
obtain results,” Aguirre said. “More than likely, the first issue I
will address will be election matters. There are things we can do to
improve the process.”
In June, Aguirre criticized the city
commission for failing to notify non-resident property owners of their
eligibility to vote under Delaware law.
According to a city election official,
890 people voted in the August 10 election. Rehoboth Beach has around
1,250 registered voters out of a year-round population of close to
1,500. However, hundreds of non-resident property owners may not be
registered to vote simply because they are unaware, according to
Aguirre.
Aguirre becomes only the second gay
individual to be elected to public office in Delaware. John Brady was
elected as Sussex County Register in Chancery in 2000.
Andrew Keegan is a regular contributor to Letters from CAMP Rehoboth.
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