WASHINGTON (AP) - More gays are running for congress than ever before.

Eight openly gay candidates are running as major party nominees. They include two House incumbents who are favored in their races-Democrats Jared Polis of Colorado and David Cicilline of Rhode Island.

There's one gay Republican in the group, Richard Tisei, who is waging a competitive campaign for a House seat from Massachusetts.

Two of the four current members of the House who are gay are giving up their seats. Barney Frank is retiring, while Tammy Baldwin is running for the senate in Wisconsin.

Several of those running will make history if they're elected.

The nation could wake up the morning after the election with its first openly gay Asian-American, its first openly bisexual member and its first openly gay senator.

In all of the races, neither the gay candidates nor their rivals have made sexual orientation an issue.