(1-15-24) Mercer County has gained national attention in the last several days. Media outlets are following the local Republican Party protest of Arienne Childrey candidacy…who is running for the 84th District State Rep as a Democrat.
National Stories –
- NBC News – Second transgender woman’s candidacy for Ohio House is challenged
- Washington Examiner – Transgender candidate for state office challenged over birth name
- Huffington Post – A Second Trans Woman’s Ohio Campaign Is Challenged For Not Disclosing Dead Name
- cleveland.com – As little-known rule threatens transgender Ohioans’ candidacies, state officials show reluctance to change law
- The Guardian – Trans woman’s Ohio house candidacy challenged under decades-old law
- Ohio Capital Journal – Transgender candidate running against sponsor of the drag ban bill for Ohio House seat
- WOSU Public Media – Trans candidates for Ohio House face challenges over their names on paperwork
- Yahoo News – Trans candidate Arienne Childrey is running for Ohio House and against the state’s drag ban sponsor
- GoMag – Trans Candidate Arienne Childrey Is Running For Ohio House
The issue being protested is that Childrey did not include her ‘deadname’ at the time of the filing of her petitions according to Ohio law.
In 1995 a law was put into place — candidates for political office who have changed their name within the last five years are required to list their former name on both their statement of candidacy and the nominating petition, with an exemption only for those who changed their name because of marriage.
Mercer County Board of Elections–Notice of Meeting
Mercer County Courthouse Auditorium
Date: 1/18/2024 Time: 10:00 am
Purpose: To hear an update on the status of a protest and to determine if the board will revisit the candidate’s certification.
What is a deadname?
Deadname Definition & Meaning – Merriam-Webster Dictionary — the name that a transgender person was given at birth and no longer uses upon transitioning
To this point Childrey has not released her ‘deadname’, it is not know if this will have to happen for the petitions to be accepted or if it will come up during the Board of Elections meeting this Thursday.
According to Childrey’s election web site –
I grew up in a small coal town in Virginia – moving to Ohio in 2014.
In an Evening Leader interview —
“I am the daughter of a quarry worker who became a coal miner. Momma was a waitress who was a substitute teacher as well,” said Childrey. When Childrey was a teenager, she lived in Columbus for a time before moving back home, eventually taking care of her ailing grandmother.
According to Vanessa Joy, another transgender candidate in Ohio, told Cleveland’s News 5–
“I would have had to have my dead name on my petitions. But in the trans community, our dead names are dead; there’s a reason it’s dead — that is a dead person who is gone and buried.”
Mercer County Outlook –
- Secretary Of State Says It Is Up To Local Officials To Decide On Candidate Protest
- Republicans Submit Letter Of Protest Of Democrat State Rep Candidate
- Mercer County Democrats Issue Support For State Rep Candidate Arienne Childrey
RELATED:
- Arienne Childrey Election Site
- Arienne Childrey Facebook Page
- Arienne Childrey Instagram Page
- The Grove by Arienne Christina Childrey
Mercer County Outlook 