A transgender candidate in Ohio is disqualified from the ballot for omitting a detail on her filing paperwork. Vanessa Joy, a Stark County Democrat, is ending her campaign after she didn't list the name she went by before transitioning. She's not the only candidate who didn't "deadname" themselves on a campaign form in the state.
While Arienne Childrey of Auglaize County and Bobbie Arnold of Preble County also didn't "deadname" themselves, their boards of elections decided they are still eligible to run.
Ohio law requires anyone running for office to list any previous names they went by in the past five years.
Cincinnati Edition reached out to the Stark County Board of Elections to invite them onto the program. They responded on Monday with a statement outlining their process for reviewing Joy's petition and citing Ohio Revised code in their decision to disqualify Joy from the ballot
We also reached out to Secretary of State Frank LaRose. He declined to participate, but his director of communications provided this statement:
"The Secretary of State’s office is aware that a candidate in Stark County was disqualified for failing to file the correct paperwork as outlined in ORC 3513.06. This law clearly states that, 'If any person desiring to become a candidate for public office has had a change of name within five years immediately preceding the filing of the person's declaration of candidacy, the person's declaration of candidacy and petition shall both contain, immediately following the person's present name, the person's former names.'
"The law applies to everyone, and no county election board should be criticized for their unanimous and bipartisan decision to follow Ohio law. The 2024 Candidate Requirement Guide does not include every statute pertaining to candidates — in fact the first paragraph offers that disclaimer and urges candidates to consult with their legal counsel. However, since this issue has come about, we will take a look at the candidate guide and add this in the future. The Secretary feels it’s important for people to disclose who they are and any former identities, so the voters know who is asking to be put on the ballot."
On Cincinnati Edition, we discuss the law and how it could lead to a lawsuit.
Guests:
- Vanessa Joy, who suspended her campaign as a Democrat running in Ohio House District 50, and was disqualified by the Stark County Board of Elections
- Arienne Childrey, Democratic candidate for Ohio State Representative for the 84th District
- David Niven, Ph.D., associate professor of political science, University of Cincinnati
- Jonathan Entin, professor emeritus of law, Case Western Reserve University
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