Pictured Sean Patrick Maloney (RIGHT) and his longtime partner, Randy Florke, at a Chicago benefit for his campaign. # 2 Sean Patrick Maloney and Chicago lesbian activist Jackie Kaplan at a benefit for Maloney's campaign. Photo by Andrew Davis
The name Sean Patrick Maloney may not be familiar to most LGBT Chicagoans now, but chances are that by the end of next year many will know of this politician. Maloney is running for attorney general of New York. Should he prevail, he would become the first openly gay state-elected official in a gubernatorial-related campaign.
Windy City Times talked with Maloney before a recent stop in Chicago. Topics included advising Bush; balancing family and work; and living in New York City after Sept. 11.
Windy City Times: Why are you the best man for the job?
Sean Patrick Maloney: It's a real question in New York about filling Eliot Spitzer's shoes. ( Spitzer is the current attorney general who is running for governor. ) I believe that I have the best reason to run this race, meaning that I know why I want to do the job and that I'm different than anyone else running this race.
I want to do the job for three reasons. I think the job's critical in terms of putting power on the side of those people who don't have it. It's critical in terms of giving New York a government as good as its people. It's also about fighting back against this conservative crowd in Washington and this office has a national role to play on so many issues. Also, on a personal level, the job is about running legal investigations, doing public service, and managing a large office. Those are things I've been doing, so it's a great fit for what I love to do.
For gays and lesbians, this is a level of politics we haven't achieved yet. We don't have a single LGBT state-wide elected official in America, so [ there have been ] no governors, lieutenant governors, attorneys general, or comptrollers—and that's gotta change.
WCT: So what's the No. 1 issue for you?
SPM: In New York, it's reform. However, for the purposes of this conversation, I'll describe it more broadly as redefining what it means to be a progressive in the United States. For example, I'm concerned that Eliot Spitzer is going to win by a large margin even though he's squarely for gay marriage and transgender rights; he'll win across areas and parties.
WCT: Do you think that's based on name recognition?
SPM: I think it's based on standing for something—and that's what I'm talking about. Progressives can win (and win big) if people believe we are strong and stand for something. People say that Democrats have to moderate their positions if they want to win—and Eliot provides an interesting counterexample to that theory. People believe that Eliot offers a real voice of reform and fairness; that's the kind of voice I want to have in this campaign. This election has national implications not only for gays and lesbians, but for Democrats and progressives in general.
WCT: You worked with Bill Clinton in the White House as an advisor. If you had the ear of our current president for five minutes, what one thing would you advise him to do?
SPM: I think the one thing I would advise him to do is to stop dividing Americans for short-term political gain. I think that there is a real fundamental trust that the president holds to represent everyone.
For example, proposing amending the Constitution in a way that would [promote] discrimination against tens of millions of Americans does real violence to our own. There is a struggle for the soul of America going on—and we have to ask ourselves if we believe in the Constitution. If you do, you have to reconcile that belief with the reality that 10 to 20 million Americans do not enjoy equal status under the law because of an immutable characteristic.
So many of the gay and lesbian issues you hear about nowadays ... I don't even think they're gay and lesbian issues, but they're constitutional ones. I think they're American issues.
We're having a fundamental conversation in this country about whether we're headed toward a path of great inclusion and equality or if we're going to go in another direction. [This separation] is one of the worst things he's done while in office—although there are other things I could list. The things he's done with the LGBT community are on the wrong side of history and I think they'll haunt him and his legacy.
WCT: How tough do you think it'll be to balance being an attorney general and a family man? [Maloney and his longtime partner, Randy Florke, have adopted three children together.]
SPM: It shouldn't any harder than for anyone else who's held the job. We all live in a world of intense professional and personal demands on our time. I worked in the White House and I had a young kid who played two sports. What you do is get up from your desk and leave. You have to know what's important to you at the end of the day. It's clear that my family comes first.
In a sense, [being an attorney general] will be easier than some jobs. It's just like running a company, so you have to know how to manage. I delegate well.
My children are only going to be young once. I don't want to screw that up.
WCT: You and your family live in New York City. What's the atmosphere there like now after Sept. 11?
SPM: Well, New Yorkers are pretty tough. They're pretty good at dealing with adversity. I think [the event] haunts the city but it hasn't stopped it. New York City has more intensity, excellence, and strength than it ever has; people have been through a lot together and they remember that. I was there and it was a terrible day and a terrible tragedy—but it has made the city stronger and I wouldn't live anywhere else. It's going to take a lot more than Al-Qaeda to change New York City.
WCT: As you make your political rounds, what have you discovered about New Yorkers and what have you discovered about yourself?
SPM: What I've discovered is that people really want to hear what's in your heart. There's a lot of pressure on politicians to be safe. However, there's real power when you find your voice.
I'm not in this race to play it safe. This is an uphill climb for a candidate like me. I'm in this race to say something different from the other candidates—and there's real power in that. People want someone who's real, even if he's different.
What I've learned about myself is that [being different] is why I'm in this race. I've no interest in caution and calculation. I want to do so many things. I'm not just doing this to have a career or to plug some hole in my psychological makeup. There are a lot of things I want to do besides politics but there are also things I want to do through politics. I want to say something clear and something I believe in.
To learn more about Maloney, visit www.seanmaloney.com .
