Schipske not discouraged

By Michael Watanabe
Daily Forty-Niner

Much like the controversial presidential debate in Florida, Democrat Gerrie Schipske has experienced some close elections, such as her recent bid for the 38th U.S. Congressional District, which includes Long Beach. This year she was edged out by incumbent Steve Horn, R - Lakewood.

Schipske narrowly missed the seat by 1,768 votes. She had 47.5 percent, Horn had 48.5 percent.

"It is frustrating," Schipske wrote in a recent email interview. "But we did the best we could and it is exciting to be the first democrat to come this close to winning the seat."

Horn, a former Cal State Long Beach president, ousted the Democrats in 1992, after the Democrats had held control of the district for 24 years, according to the Californian League of Conservation Voters' Web site. The league supported Schipske in the election.

Schipske teaches intergovernmental relations and public policy analysis at CSULB, and serves as a healthcare policy consultant to the Service Employees International Union.

Despite the loss, she is not one to be discouraged. She has had this experience before and even plans on running again.

"This is my second race that I have come so close to winning," Schipske said. In 1996, she ran for the 54th district and came within 1,763 votes of winning.

Schipske ran on the platform of widespread health care and a safety net for working people, including a simpler tax code, more opportunities for home ownership, better labor laws and sound social security and Medicare.

She also advocates educational programming and a citizen Congress, which would eliminate many congressional benefits such as automatic cost-of-living adjustments and taxpayer subsidies.

She has also been running as an openly gay candidate, according to The National Gay & Lesbian Newsmagazine Internet site. Although she would not be the first openly gay candidate in Congress, she would be the first to unseat an incumbent.

In the past, Schipske has implemented a "community baby-shower." As president of the Long Beach National Organization for Women, she founded a program that collected new baby items packaged in diaper bags. The bags would then be donated to the Long Beach Health Department and the Westside Neighborhood Clinic.

After her close vote count, Schipske finds the Florida debacle especially intriguing.

"Florida is an interesting situation," she said. "It will be sad if the presidency is determined by 930 votes."