Sheila Kuehl
Kuehl was elected to the California State Assembly in 1994, becoming the first openly gay person elected to the California legislature. While running for office Kuehl found she was able to offset some negative stereotypes people had about lesbians thanks to their familiarity with her role as Zelda. She told an interviewer "When people know gay people personally, they tend to feel differently about the whole community. And all of a sudden, here's a person that they knew very well that they found out was lesbian."
Gwyn Shea
In making his selection of Shea to succeed Cuellar, Perry described Shea as a "public servant of impeccable character and extraordinary energy. I have known her since we served together in the Texas Legislature, and she has proven herself as an outstanding leader and a committed public servant." For the swearing-in ceremony, Perry invited his future intraparty rival, U.S. Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison, who lauded Shea’s accomplishments: "Gwyn Shea has blazed trails throughout her life, and the milestone of becoming secretary of state is simply one more in her long and distinguished career. I am confident that she will be excellent in all of the responsibilities of this position." As secretary of state, Shea launched an initiative to reach graduating high school seniors with a voter registration kit. She unveiled the program in San Antonio in the spring of 2002. She also sponsored in elementary schools the essay contest "What Voting Means to Americans".