Editing Mark Foley (section)

===Senate campaign===
In 2003, Foley was widely considered the Republican front-runner for [[Bob Graham]]'s Senate seat, especially after Graham had announced his [[retirement]]. However, longstanding rumors surfaced that Foley was either homosexual or [[bisexuality|bisexual]] and was in a long-term homosexual relationship. The story was initially published only in local and gay press;<ref name="bostonphoenix">[http://www.bostonphoenix.com/boston/news_features/editorial/documents/02919063.htm "Being gay in the GOP: Congressman Mark Foley: A model of political hypocrisy and personal cowardice"] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20051126113758/http://www.bostonphoenix.com/boston/news_features/editorial/documents/02919063.htm |date=2005-11-26 }}, ''Boston Phoenix'', May 30, 2003</ref><ref>Mark Meenan, [http://www.gaycitynews.com/gcn222/ishegay.html “Is He Gay or Not? U.S. Rep. Mark Foley calls press to say he won't talk about his sexual preference”] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20051215193730/http://gaycitynews.com/gcn222/ishegay.html |date=2005-12-15 }}, ''Gay City News'', May 30, 2003.</ref> then the ''[[New Times Media|New Times]]'' broke the story in the mainstream press. Other alternative press rivals, including the ''[[New York Press]]'',<ref>Michelangelo Signorile, [http://www.nypress.com/16/22/news&columns/signorile.cfm “Liberace Candidate: Mark Foley’s glass closet”] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061206012729/http://www.nypress.com/16/22/news%26columns/signorile.cfm |date=2006-12-06 }}, ''New York Press'', May 28, 2003.</ref> then addressed the topic. Foley held a press conference to denounce the "revolting" rumors and stated that his sexual orientation was unimportant, but did not specifically deny the rumors. A few weeks later, he withdrew his candidacy, saying his father's battle with [[cancer]] had caused him to reassess his perspective on life (the seat was later won by Republican [[Mel Martinez]]). Foley had raised $3 million in campaign contributions before withdrawing.<ref>[http://www.washblade.com/2004/7-9/news/localnews/outed.cfm 2004 “Outed Hill staffer condemns campaign: Mikulski and Foley become newest congressional targets as FMA vote nears”] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20051030035313/http://www.washblade.com/2004/7-9/news/localnews/outed.cfm |date=2005-10-30 }}, ''Washington Blade'' (District of Columbia), July 9, 2004.</ref>