The Bay Area Reporter early on used its political clout to endorse candidates for office, and this October 28, 1976 issue supports Republican state Senator Milton Marks for reelection. (He switched parties in 1988, when he won reelection as a Democrat, and represented the city for 38 years.) Marks was well-known for his retail politics and was an ally to the LGBTQ community. The paper's cover listed his endorsers, which included the late Harvey Milk, who would go on to be elected as a San Francisco supervisor in 1977. Marks died in 1998. To view the issue, click here.
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