After months of canvassing, phone banking, donating and door knocking, the results are in and we know that for Ohio, it paid off. Senator Obama is our president-elect, and we can be proud that Ohio contributed to his success. With his leadership we look forward to seeing federal legislation enacted that will recognize, protect, and embrace the contributions of LGBT Americans.
In addition to the presidential victory, we can also celebrate significant change within our state. With 32 endorsements across the state, Equality Ohio is proud to announce an 88% win-rate for our candidates. Here are some of the highlights:
- Treasurer Richard Cordray will become Attorney General Richard Cordray. Rich’s record of support for inclusion and equality speaks for itself. In return, LGBT and allied Ohioans provided significant support to Rich in his race and we are excited to have a friend like him in the A.G.’s office.
- EO-endorsed Judge Mary Wiseman maintained her seat on the Montgomery County Court of Common Pleas, proving again that voters in Ohio make their decision based on who the best candidate is, rather than on the person’s sexual orientation.
- In Chillicothe, democratic challenger Ray Pryor unseated 3-term incumbent John Schlichter. During this race Schlichter’s campaign and the Ohio Republican Party sent 5 anti-gay mailers and ran 2 anti-gay radio ads against Ray. His win makes a clear statement that using support for LGBT people and our families as a wedge to scare voters will no longer work in this state. And,
- In January, the Ohio House of Representatives will have a Democratic majority. Equality Ohio endorsed in 23 Ohio House races and with some results still coming in, it appears that 22 of our candidates won. Four of these seats contributed to the change in House leadership. This gives us the real opportunity to see the Equal Housing and Employment Act finally move. We look forward to working with the next General Assembly to pass Ohio’s first ever pro-equality legislation.
Just as exciting as all of that is the way our community came together to help make those successes happen. Across the state, lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people and our allies played a critical role in changing the political landscape of Ohio. Over the course of the election season we all:
- Donated hundreds of thousands of dollars from individuals, Equality Ohio Campaign Fund, and HRC’s PAC;
- Knocked on almost 200,000 doors as pro-equality campaign volunteers;
- Phone-banked and canvassed nearly every night of the week for almost two months;
- And on Election Day in 87 of our 88 counties, over 5,000 LGBT and allied volunteers worked to get out the vote for pro-equality candidates.
Of course, we must recognize that this is not a day when all LGBT people are able to celebrate. Although California's Prop 8 decision is still too close to call, our hearts go out to our brothers and sisters in Florida, Arizona, and Arkansas as they deal with the emotional and legal impact of their losses. As Ohioans, we know from our 2004 experience how they must be feeling today and we grieve with them. These states stand as a vivid reminder to us all that there is a continued need for organizations such as Equality Ohio and the work we do across the state everyday.
We were blessed to come out of our 2004 loss as a connected, determined and strategic statewide community committed to creating lasting, substantive change in Ohio for LGBT people and our families. We’re not there yet, but as of yesterday we’re one step closer. We showed in 2006 that we could do great things when we worked together. This year we have truly proven the incredible strength of our statewide community.
So take today, tomorrow, the whole week and celebrate. But know that we must be prepared to continue to work. The road ahead of us will not necessarily be easy; nothing will be handed to us. We must remain focused and committed to creating change. We will have amazing opportunities in the years ahead.
On behalf of the boards and staff of Equality Ohio, thank you for all that you did and will continue to do to see equality in this state. We look forward to continuing our work with you to create an Ohio where everyone can feel at home.
Sincerely,
Lynne Bowman
Executive Director
