December 8: Tampa Bay Coalition had reported on openly gay Judge Ray Warren, plans to run for the Congressional seat being vacated by Jesse Helms. Helms announced he would retire at the end of his present term in January 2002. At the time of his announcement Warren, 44, was still a presiding Superior      Court Judge for Mecklenburg County, N.C. Before he could officially become a candidate for the Senate,     he would have to resign his seat on the bench.  Warren did resign a month later and officially files to run for Jesse Helms seat in Congress.

The announcement of Jesse Helms retirement was greeted with great joy by gays and lesbians. Along with many of the people of color from Helms district. Helms openly opposed and voted against almost every civil rights bill. In his last campaign to retain his seat, Helms used every unethical dirty tactic to win. Not only did Helms play the gay hate card, he pulled the race card out of his pocket and plunked it down also. He used race in his attempt to gain the white vote, using fear and scare tactics to divide the community. His rival happen to be a man of color. With the announcement that Warren had his sights set on Helms seat added irony to Helms years of intolerance and gay hate.

Due to a change that took place as North Carolina's state legislature redrew district lines, Ray Warren has   now set his sights on the United States Congress. With 100,000 citizens in Warren's home county placed     in a different district, Warren believes he can better help Democrats regain control of the House, who trail    by only nine members.

So now, Warren announced he will try to unseat Rep. Robin Hayes, a conservative Republican incumbent who represents North Carolina's 8th District. He decided he stands a better chance of succeeding if he  concentrates on his home region rather than fight a difficult statewide primary for the Senate. It has been reported by PlanetOut, Warren said,  "I am glad to say that the remaining Democratic Senate candidates have indicated support for gay and lesbian rights, so the community will still benefit from electing a new senator." 

Warren realizes the South has yet to send an openly gay man or lesbian to Congress, but, he remains optimistic. He said that many of his constituents are young, suburban voters with progressive lives who       want North Carolina to move forward at the same speed as the rest of the country.