Santa Fe overwhelmingly elected its first openly gay mayor on Tuesday. Javier Gonzales easily won election with 43 percent of the vote versus two other opponents.
Gonzales gave his acceptance speech to chants of "Javier" on Tuesday night after the results came in, according to theAlbuquerque Journal.
Gonzales, 47, is the vice president of a commercial real estate company and the father of two daughters, Cameron, 15, and Cadence, 9. He was also a county commissioner and recently served as the chairman of the New Mexico Democratic Party, according to the Santa Fe New Mexican. His campaign was won with dozens of intimate parties, eight community conversation events, and a political contacts list built up over two decades in public work. His father, George Gonzales, served as Santa Fe's mayor from 1968-1972, and he served as his son's campaign co-chairman.
"I stand before you humbled. I stand you before standing on the shoulders of people like [outgoing Mayor David] Coss and my father and so many who have been before in this position to say that I am ready to accept the responsibility and the honor of being your mayor," he said.
Gonzales's opponents, Bill Dimas and Patti Bushee, will retain their seats on the city council.
Now as mayor, he will preside over a city council with two openly gay members: Bushee, and Signe Lindell, who was also newly elected.
