Days after the Supreme Court overturned the Defense of Marriage Act, the 84 year-old woman at the center of the court challenge is on to her next project: electing an openly gay mayor of New York City.
Edie Windsor, now a national LGBT icon for her successful challenge to the law denying federal rights to gay married couples, has endorsed mayoral candidate Christine Quinn in the effort to boost her over former Rep. Anthony Weiner and other rivals.
“I want to tell you about another battle that’s very important to me, and that’s getting Christine Quinn elected the next mayor of New York,” Windsor says in an endorsement video.
A poll out Tuesday showed Quinn trailing former Weiner, who has the backing of 25 percent of registered Democrats compared to Quinn’s 20 percent. Another poll this week showed essentially a three-way tie between Weiner, Quinn and former City Comptroller Bill Thompson.
Windsor’s challenge to DOMA began when she was levied a massive federal estate tax after her wife’s death four years ago because the federal government did not recognize her marriage.
She is expected to appear with Quinn at Sunday’s Pride march in New York City and at an LGBT event Friday evening.