Pennsylvania State Representative Mike Fleck represented the State’s 81st District in rural Pennsylvania. He was first elected in 2006, then ran unopposed for re-election in 2008, ’10 and ’12.
But as he says, he knew “This time would be different”.
In December 2012, a month after Fleck’s election to a fourth term, he came out as gay.
Local Republican Richard Irvin would later announce he would run against Fleck in 2014. Irvin was removed from the primary ballot on a technicality but still defeated Fleck as a write-in candidate on the Republican ticket, while Fleck defeated Irvin on the empty Democratic ticket as a write-in.
In November 2014’s general election, the incumbent gay Republican running as a Democrat faced off against his Republican challenger.
Very good video.