Education, healthcare, the future of small businesses, the environment and fiscal responsibility at the state level are all issues facing voters from San Diego’s 76th Assembly District. Additionally, for the GLBT community a monumental piece of legislation that would grant equal marriage rights to all couples could be a deciding factor in the race where both candidates are courting the gay vote.

In the March primaries both Lori Saldaña and Tricia Hunter won their party’s respective endorsements and since then the race has been on. Hunter, a registered nurse and former Assemblymember, is the Republican candidate, who has focused her campaign for the 76th seat on issues of fiscal responsibility and rights for small businesses. Saldaña, a community college professor and former Sierra Club president, touts environmental cleanup, and improving education and economic development.

While all of these issues are important to the people living in the 76th, the reintroduction of Mark Leno’s Marriage License Non-Discrimination Act may be the most important piece of GLBT civil rights legislation in the community’s history.

“We’re moving forward with the marriage equality bill,” Leno told the Gay & Lesbian Times. “It is the only one of its kind in the country and what it will do is amend Section 300 of the California Family Code to redefine marriage as a civil contract – underline the word civil, not a sacred contract – a civil contract between a man and a woman, to be a civil contract between two persons. It’s unique when so many other states are considering doing the opposite; amending their constitutions to exclude us.”

The bill will be co-sponsored by Speaker of the Assembly Fabian Nunez, and like many bills in the past year Assembly members are expected to vote along strict party lines.

While the 76th has a long-standing tradition of voting Democrat, having elected out lesbian politician Christine Kehoe to the Assembly in recent years, the Republican Party has staked out the district in hopes of regaining control of the Assembly now that Kehoe is vacating the 76th seat in pursuit of a seat in the State Senate. Both the Democratic and Republican parties have poured money into this year’s 76th race.

“If they want to throw their money into a bad race, let them waste their money,” Saldaña said in a recent interview with the Gay & Lesbian Times. “The polls show me 20 points ahead. The response we get from the community is very, very positive and I have every confidence that I will take this district.”

The California Teachers Association, the California Nurses Association, several law enforcement and environmental organizations and the GLBT organizations Equality California and the San Diego Democratic Club have endorsed Saldaña.

The California Chamber of Commerce, several fire and law enforcement organizations and Log Cabin Republicans have endorsed Hunter, a moderate Republican.

Saldaña and Hunter have differing views on what their role will be at the state level to improve life for residents of the 76th, but for gay voters, one of the most heavily spotlighted issues has been the debate for marriage equality.

“As I have said before… I have the same position as Senator Kerry,” Hunter told the Gay & Lesbian Times, weighing in on the marriage equality debate. “I strongly support civil rights; I support domestic partnerships; I support equality under the law in all of the issues from insurance to retirement rights to inheritance rights. I believe the part of marriage needs to be left to the church.”

When asked specifically about the reintroduction of the Marriage License Non-Discrimination Act, Hunter said that she would not take a position on the bill prior to its introduction.

“I will look at every bill as it comes up,” Hunter said. “When I see it in writing, I will look at it. I have already committed to have an LGBT advisory board. I will talk to the community. I’ve learned in being involved in politics that you don’t take any position on a bill until you see it and you have an opportunity to analyze it and look at it. If elected to the 76th Assembly District, I will look at every bill individually.”

In the past, Hunter has voted against the party line on a number of issues including choice, right of access, funds for Planned Parenthood, gun control issues, the mandatory motorcycle helmet bill and funding for HIV and AIDS.

Saldaña has come out in support of full marriage equality. “When it comes to supporting equal marriage rights … The Federal Constitution gives us the right to the pursuit of happiness, the state constitution gives us the right to happiness, and what guarantees more happiness than finding a person that you love so much that you want to commit your life to them?” she said at an Oct. 13 Democratic Party fundraiser for her campaign. “I feel that it is a constitutional infringement by telling people that they can’t commit and marry someone that they absolutely love and can’t imagine living without, so to me, it’s just a straightforward discussion.”

“The biggest and most important bill in the coming year will be our Marriage License Non-Discrimination Act. Lori has clearly stated that she is in support of the bill,” Leno said at the fundraiser. “I have talked to her personally about it and I have seen her speak publicly about it. I’ve not spoken with Tricia Hunter, but I know through Equality California that she has not said that she would vote for such a bill and it would surprise me if she said she would. Even if she did, I would not expect her to vote for it when she gets to Sacramento. The severity of the partisanship is uncommon.”

Hunter has taken steps to reach out to the GLBT community by attending community events and picking up endorsements from the likes of District Attorney Bonnie Dumanis, City Commissioner Nicole Murray-Ramirez and Pat Washington, the former president of the San Diego chapter of the National Organization for Women.

Saldaña has picked up the endorsements of Deputy Mayor Toni Atkins, Assemblymember Christine Kehoe and the San Diego/Imperial Counties Labor Council.

With major endorsements in, voters will decide on Election Day, Nov. 2.