By Alabama Public Radio
Montgomery, AL – A Democratic Party committee has disqualified an openly gay candidate for the Alabama Legislature and the woman she defeated in the primary runoff. Committee members ruled last night that both women violated a party rule that party officials say no other candidate has obeyed since 1988. The committee voted 5-0 to disqualify Patricia Todd and Gaynell Hendricks. Todd was attempting to become the state's first openly gay legislator. Committee chair Amy Burks said earlier Thursday that the party's executive committee would make the final decision and select a nominee for the seat from Birmingham's House District 54 at a meeting in Montgomery Saturday. Attorney Bobby Segall told the committee earlier Thursday that if the party disqualified Todd for not filing a financial disclosure form with the party chairman it would also have to disqualify the party's nominee for governor, Lieutenant Governor Lucy Baxley. Todd defeated Hendricks by 59 votes in the July 18th runoff election in Birmingham's District 54. There is no Republican opposition in the race and the Democratic candidate will likely be the district's next House member.