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"Rep. Aguilar was the lone Hispanic Republican in the IL legislature"

Cicero always votes Republican in non-presidential elections even though the city is overwhelmingly Hispanic. Aguilar's loss to a nobody is very, very strange. I think someone in the Cicero GOP Machine wanted to run for the state house and Aguilar was blocking him, so the Machine quietly got voters to elect the Democrat who will be easy pickings next election.

"We also, unfortunately, lost at least another non-Caucasian legislator in UT with the defeat of State Sen. John Evans, an African-American."

That is certainly a disappointment. Where was Evans' district? There aren't very many state senate districts in Utah liberal enough for a Democrat to win.

Wasn't there a second black GOP state legislator from Utah? And what are the names of the other black Republican state legislators in the other Mountain States? I think there's a Senator Washington from the Reno area (who could replace Congressman Gibbons if he runs for governor in 2006) and maybe a second black Republican legislator in Nevada, a black state senator from Colorado Springs (once Hefley retires, he should run), and I think one other.

I know there's a black state senator from Grand Rapids, MI who could replace Ehlers once he retires, and I believe that there are a couple of black Republicans in the NH state legislature. Are there black Republican state legislators in other states?

"Cicero always votes Republican in non-presidential elections even though the city is overwhelmingly Hispanic. Aguilar's loss to a nobody is very, very strange. I think someone in the Cicero GOP Machine wanted to run for the state house and Aguilar was blocking him, so the Machine quietly got voters to elect the Democrat who will be easy pickings next election."

I have no idea, since Aguilar was a freshman. If someone is trying to depose him on purpose, they obviously have little patience, but it all seems so ridiculous anyway. It could also be that the residents of that district voted a straight 'Rat line, and I'd have to see how the other races went in that seat (President, really).

"Where was Evans' district? There aren't very many state senate districts in Utah liberal enough for a Democrat to win."

In Salt Lake City. His win was a fluke, anyhow, and he didn't lose by too large a margin. But barring a disaster, it will likely remain in the 'Rat column.

"Wasn't there a second black GOP state legislator from Utah?"

I looked down the roster of photos, and didn't see any others.

"And what are the names of the other black Republican state legislators in the other Mountain States? I think there's a Senator Washington from the Reno area (who could replace Congressman Gibbons if he runs for governor in 2006) and maybe a second black Republican legislator in Nevada, a black state senator from Colorado Springs (once Hefley retires, he should run), and I think one other."

Sen. Ed Jones is the only black Republican I know of in Colorado currently in office. Same with Maurice Washington in NV (though whether he could get the nod for Congress is another story, he's had some ethics problems lodged against him). There is an African-American State Rep. in New Mexico, Jane A. Powdrell-Culbert, and she was just reelected unopposed. I know of no one else at the moment.

"I know there's a black state senator from Grand Rapids, MI who could replace Ehlers once he retires, and I believe that there are a couple of black Republicans in the NH state legislature. Are there black Republican state legislators in other states?"

To my knowledge, there is no more than 1 legislator in any given state. That includes (at the moment) AL, CO, FL, MI, MO, NV, NH, NM, OR, & UT. Whether we added to our numbers on Tuesday, I'm unsure about.