Joshua Boschee will become the first out gay lawmaker in North Dakota in November if he wins his race in District 44 for the state House of Representatives.
"I'm humbled," says Boschee, of his place on the list, which is right next to Wisconsin U-S Representative Tammy Baldwin, the high-profile candidate for Senate who would be the first openly gay Senator elected. "But I think the impact we're making isn't just that I'm a gay candidate, but that I've been out there working, reaching out to voters, talking about what's important, trying to connect with voters since June."
Boschee is running against two longtime Republican incumbents — Blair Thoreson, who's been in the House since 1999, and Don Clark, who's been there since 2005. It could be an uphill battle for Boschee in a state that boasts a Republican Supermajority in Bismarck, and who's looking also at potentially sending three Republicans as its U-S Congressional delegation for the first time in about three decades. The Democratic candidate says that his experience as a gay man has given him perspective on leadership that is valuable.
"My experience as an LGBT person has taught me the importance of listening to people," says Boschee. "Everyone has a story."
Watch their interview with Boschee, AFTER THE JUMP…
