Equality Ohio Announces Candidate and Issue Endorsements for 2012

COLUMBUS--- Equality Ohio, Ohio’s largest lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgendered (LGBT) advocacy organization, announced their candidate and issue endorsements for elections taking place on Tuesday, November 6, 2012.

All candidates endorsed by Equality Ohio support the organization’s efforts to make Ohio a place where everyone feels at home and where equality, diversity and inclusiveness are universally valued.

“State-level candidates have always been the organization's number one priority,” said Executive Director, Kim Welter. “We will be focusing most of our resources on competitive state representative races, state senate races and the Issue 2 ballot initiative.”

Candidate endorsements were decided by a vote of the c4 board of Equality Ohio.  Equality Ohio’s Public Policy committee reviewed candidate materials, policy statements and professional histories in determining where endorsements were warranted and made recommendations to the board. Because our focus is on statewide electoral politics, federal and local candidates for office were vetted only when they sought our endorsement.

Complete List (additional candidates may be added):

President
Barack Obama
U.S. Senate
Sherrod Brown
Ohio Supreme Court
Yvette McGee Brown
Issues
Yes on Issue 2!

U.S. House of Representatives
Betty Sutton, OH-16

Ohio Senate
Teresa McGraner Scarmack, District 20
Tanyce Addison, District 26
Jeff Robertson, District 10
Capri S. Cafaro, District 32

Ohio House of Representatives
Anthony Fossaceca, District 6
Nickie J. Antonio, District 13
Mike Foley, District 14
Mike Curtin, District  17
Michael Stinziano, District 18
Heather Bishoff, District 20
Donna O'Connor, District 21
John Patrick Carney, District 22
Maureen Reedy, District 24
Connie Pillich, District 28
Hubert Brown, District 29
Steve Newsome, District 30
Denise Driehaus, District 31
Tom Schmida, District  37
Carl Fisher, District  40
Amanda Trump, District 48
Matt Lundy, District 55
Dan Ramos, District 56
Ronald V. Gerberry, District 59
Judith Cross, District 69
Bill Conner, District 73
Chris Redfern, District 89

Municipal Offices

Terry J. (TJ) Brown, Franklin County Recorder
Jim Neil, Hamilton County Sheriff
Sandra Kurt, At-Large, Summit County Council

About the organization:

Equality Ohio was founded in 2005 by a group of 65 dedicated LGBT activists and allies from all corners of Ohio after Ohio voters passed a Constitutional amendment prohibiting same sex marriage and civil unions.  In its first five years, Equality Ohio worked tirelessly to change the hearts and minds of Ohioans about the LGBT community and our civil rights.  In 2009, the Ohio General Assembly took its first floor vote on any legislation protecting the LGBT community in Ohio, passing the Equal Housing and Employment Act with bipartisan support.  That legislation did not pass the Ohio Senate, and there is much important work to be done to achieve full equality and inclusion in Ohio.

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