Name John J. Duran Home West Hollywood, California Profession Civil Rights Attorney Office Sought California State Assembly Primary Date 7 June 1994 Election Date 8 November 1994 JOHN J. DURAN For California State Assembly California's political circles are still energized from the fight against the military ban and by recent gay rights debates throughout the state. Into this heated arena steps experienced candidate John J. Duran. A passionate civil rights attorney and leader of the Sacramento-based Lobby for Individual Freedom and Equality (LIFE AIDS Lobby), Duran has a proven ability for getting important legislation through the California State Legislature and an exceptional track record as an advocate for the California gay and lesbian community. When he ran for this seat in 1992, Duran garnered an astonishing 35 percent of the vote against powerful ten-year incumbent, Burt Margolin. With Margolin stepping down in 1994, Duran is gearing up to win this powerful State Assembly seat and become the first openly gay state legislator in California history. THE CAMPAIGN Duran is one of seven announced Democratic candidates in the race to replace retiring incumbent Burt Margolin. This race will be decided in the primary as the Republican's never launch a serious campaign in this staunchly Democratic district. With only 80,000 Democrats expected to vote in the June Primary and with such a crowded field, the race will be won with as little as 15 percent of the Democratic vote. ANGLE (Access Now for Gay and Lesbian Equality) has identified over 20,000 gay and lesbian Democrats who live in the district. These voters will be highly targeted through a sophisticated absentee ballot program designed by absentee ballot expert Bob Stiens, formerly of Joe Cerrell and Associates. Duran's experience as an AIDS and gay rights lobbyist gives him a decided advantage over a field with little or no legislative experience, as does the healthy amount of name awareness he enjoys thanks to his activism and to his last campaign. The only Latino and the only pro- business candidate in the crowded field, Duran has already received numerous key endorsements from community and entertainment industry leaders, and has gotten the nod from Lieutenant Governor Leo McCarthy, the ranking Democratic state official. His "kitchen cabinet" advisory team includes such influential political activists as David Mixner, Diane Abbitt, Roberta Bennett, Dr. Scott Hitt, David Wexler, Jean O'Leary, David Kessler and Kevin James. His powerhouse team of consultants includes campaign manager Richard Hunt, fundraiser Charlotte Dobbs, media and public relations company Smart Communications Inc., and pollsters Evans-McDonough, who worked on Christine Kehoe's successful race for the San Diego City Council. THE CANDIDATE A founding partner in the all-gay law firm of Duran, Loquvam, Lehman & Robertson, Duran's record of legislative victories is as impressive as his pro bono activities on behalf of the community's neediest members. Laboring in the trenches of public policy law, Duran created California's regulations for clinical drug trials of AIDS treatments, opposed the infamous "Dolittle Bills" to impede gay and lesbian rights, created AIDS prevention programs for women and ensured the inclusion of AIDS as a handicap. He served on the California Commission on Hate Crimes and on the board of directors of numerous community-based organizations including ANGLE, the Elections Committee of the County of Orange, Eleanor Roosevelt Democratic Club, Lambda Legal Defense and Education Fund and the WESTPAC Lesbian/Gay Reapportionment Project. The California State Assembly honored him in 1991 for his achievement in crafting California's response to AIDS. He was honored as "Man of the Year" by Christopher Street West Los Angeles in 1990 and by Orange County Cultural Pride in 1991, and received the Labor Day LA Humanitarian Award in 1993. THE DISTRICT California's 42nd district is composed of communities as diverse as Beverly Hills and Bel Air to the West, Hollywood and Universal City to the East and the gay political powerhouse of West Hollywood in the center, and is considered the most gay-friendly district in California. Demographically, it is 79 percent Anglo, 10 percent Latino, 7 percent Asian and 3 percent African-American; 58 percent of the registered voters are Democrats and 29 percent are Republicans. WORKING FOR THE GAY COMMUNITY John Duran's years of activism outline the recent history of the California gay community. He became involved in politics in 1985 when one of his best friends died of AIDS. Serving as education co-chair of the 1986 "NO on Proposition 64 Campaign," he fought the Lyndon LaRouche initiative to quarantine people with AIDS. In 1987, Duran joined the board of directors of LIFE AIDS Lobby, a statewide political organization which defeated 142 homophobic bills in the state capitol in one year. Under his leadership as co-chair from 1988-1992, LIFE AIDS Lobby crafted California's response to HIV. After expanding the Lobby's agenda to include lesbian and gay rights, Duran and his team of attorneys drafted the California lesbian and gay civil rights bill. When Governor Pete Wilson vetoed the legislation in 1991, Duran was at the forefront of the civil disobedience directed at Wilson's betrayal, and represented over two dozen demonstrators who were arrested over the veto. Duran and LIFE Lobby returned one year later with similar legislation which the Governor signed. Duran's law firm is a cherished community resource which provides pro bono work for the lesbian/gay community and has lost over 500 clients to HIV since its founding in 1987. In 1990, Duran filed a complaint with the IRS challenging the tax-exempt status of the Reverend Lou Sheldon's Traditional Values Coalition. Among his many victories, he represented the organizers of Orange County's first gay pride festival when Sheldon tried to force local government to revoke their permit, he defended members of ACT UP who were arrested for disrupting a speech given by right wing Congressman Bill Dannemeyer, brought suit against Los Angeles County for wrongfully terminating openly gay Sheriff Deputy Bruce Boland, and represented a teacher at a fundamentalist college who was fired as for associating with "known homosexuals." In 1991, the White Aryan Resistance "rewarded" Duran for his good work by plastering a swastika on his office door. Can He Win? Duran's chances look good. When he ran for this seat in 1992, against a powerful ten-year incumbent, with only three months to campaign and a shoestring budget of only $62,000, Duran received the highest percent of the vote statewide against an incumbent. With the incumbent out of the race, Duran will be able to capitalize on his existing name recognition and on the high level of support for his gay rights and AIDS- related causes in the West Hollywood, Beverly Hills, Bel Air and Westwood communities. His winning coalition includes the lesbian and gay community, progressives and liberals, the business community and people of color. Through six years of interaction with the state's highest lawmaking body, John Duran has proven he has what it takes to get the job done. With a well-financed campaign, he can put that experience to work in the state legislature. Why John Duran's Race is Important to You California is home to some of our strongest, most politically active gay and lesbian communities. Since Harvey Milk's historic 1976 primary race, qualified openly gay and lesbian candidates have tried unsuccessfully to win election to the state assembly. With your help, John Duran can break through this glass ceiling and clear a path for others to follow. Why your Contribution Matters to John Duran California assembly races are as costly as congressional campaigns. The budget for this campaign exceeds $400,000, so John Duran needs to raise almost $100,000 per month to stay in the competition for this highly influential California Assembly seat. Because this race will be decided in the primary, John Duran needs your contribution today. To Support John Duran Make your checks payable to: Friends of John Duran And mail them to: The Gay and Lesbian Victory Fund 1012 14th Street, N.W., Suite 707 Washington, DC 20005 There are no contribution limits in this race. Paid for by the Gay and Lesbian Victory Fund and authorized by the Friends of John Duran. Gay and Lesbian Victory Fund voice: 202-842-8679 fax: 202-289-3863 email: victoryf@aol.com