Sheila Kuehl
When Kuehl was elected as a Democrat to the California Assembly in 1994 a Republican majority was seated for the first time in 20 years. This was due largely as an out-flowing of the enthusiasm stoked up by Newt Gingrich's strategy supporting Republicans for the Federal Legislature. Kuehl recalled "The Republican majority was quite a different kind of Republican, not a moderate, not a Rockefeller Republican. They were primarily Bible-thumpers and very right-wing. So it was not the most welcoming Republican group, though they loved Zelda Gilroy, and it was very difficult for them because they already liked me so much…. And to their surprise, we all got along very well. ...The Republicans were pretty horrible about LGBT stuff. They all virtually said stuff like, 'Well, they're all spawn of the devil, oh, but not you, Sheila….'"
Emily J. Reynolds
Reynolds began her career in politics in 1980 as a special assistant to Senator Howard Baker. In 1985 she worked on the successful Senate campaign of then-Governor Kit Bond of Missouri. Subsequently Reynolds worked in seven statewide campaigns in six states, including the Senate campaigns of John Danforth, John Heinz, and Kay Bailey Hutchison. She joined the Bush/Quayle presidential campaign in 1992 as deputy director of national coalitions.