Gay Va. congressional candidate loses GOP nomination

June 9, 2010 at 12:21 am EDT | by Chris Johnson

A gay Republican running for Congress in Northern Virginia narrowly lost his bid on Tuesday for the GOP nomination in the race.

Matthew Berry, who’s gay and an attorney for the Federal Communications Commission, was seeking the Republican nomination to represent Virginia’s 8th congressional district, which comprises Arlington and Alexandria.

But Berry lost to Patrick Murray, an Iraq war veteran, who took nearly 52 percent of the vote in a race where nearly 14,000 ballots were cast. Murray is set to face Democratic candidate Rep. Jim Moran this November in the general election.

After conceding the race, Berry told the Blade he’s “disappointed” he had insufficient votes to win the nomination, but said he felt he ran “a very honorable and good campaign.”

Berry said he felt his views on LGBT issues — as well as other positions — were mischaracterized by Murray prior to the election.

In an e-mail blast sent out on Monday, Berry clarified he believes each state should determine its own laws with regard to same-sex marriage. He also said he opposes changing “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” before the Pentagon completes its study on the issue.

Election 2010 Matthew Berry Patrick Murray Virginia

Chris Johnson

Chris Johnson is Chief Political & White House Reporter for the Washington Blade. Johnson attends the daily White House press briefings and is a member of the White House Correspondents' Association. Follow Chris

SteveMD2

Somebody tell me I am wrong in saying that a gay republican is a Benedict Arnold.

I am str8 but a supporter of equality. I was a repub all my life until I realized in 2004 what Bush was about. Perhaps the most disastrous president since Herbert Hoover, also a repub. Think our economic situation due to deregulation, the Iraq war based on lies, and of course the election of Bush in o4 which occured because of his party’s hate of gay people – just another victim of the same people whose culture gave us slavery, the KKK, and segregation.
- DL
  
  Sorry, Steve, but you’re a complete ignoramous, and you clearly know little about history or the Rep. party. Bush promoted some stupid policies, but to say he was worse than Carter or the current bozo is silly. Far, far more people died in Vietnam, a war we lost, than died in Iraq, a war we won. Our economic situation is due to the Federal Reserve, Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, and the Dems in Congress who refused to reform them, including Obama, who has taken more money from Wall Street than anyone except Dodd. Deregulation?? Banking deregulation was signed into law by Pres. Clinton and supported by Dodd, Biden, Larry Summers, etc. Do you know anything??
- DL
  
  The Republican Party gave us slavery, the KKK, and segregation? The more I read your comments, the more I realize you really are ignorant.
- Mykelb
  
  I compare gay republicans to anyone who goes into a marriage knowing they are marrying a wife beater.
  - DL
    
    Amusing soundbite, but still offbase. Gay Republicans are helping change minds and policies about gay issues across the country. From Scott Brown to Mayor Giuliani to Carly Fiorina to Glenn Beck, civil unions have become the fallback position for many conservative Republicans. Just under a majority of Republican votes nationwide support marriage or civil unions, and a solid majority of Republicans support ending DADT. An even larger majority support ending job discrimination. So Mykelb, you need to stop repeating obsolete beliefs and find out what’s really going on in the world.
  - WakeUp
    
    If you gay Democrats want to know why the Dems and Obama aren’t willing to do more for you, even though they’re in control… It’s because there aren’t more gay Republicans.
    
    They take your votes for them, for granted; and Republicans think your vote for them is a lost cause. If you want to win the fight for equality, then support candidates other than Democrats. Then everyone will start to listen to you, the way both parties go after the Latin vote.
Peter the saint

Makes me wanna puke – again. Even a gay republican actively wants to politicize our lives and his life… to win a political popularity contest. Gross. That’s the ultimate definition of political prostitution. What a horrible thing to TRY to do to your fellow human beings. Glad you lost! You don’t deserve to represent humans.