A transgender woman who announced she was running for an Ohio House seat has been disqualified, despite garnering enough petition signatures.
Vanessa Joy was motivated to run in response to an increasingly hostile climate in Ohio for LGBTQ+ people. She was the only Democrat for the House seat in the 50th district in Stark County, as the Republican incumbent Reggie Stoltzfus is stepping down to run for Congress.
But the County Board of Elections disqualified Joy over the name on her petitions. State law says people who have changed their name - for whatever reason - must include both their current and previous name on petitions for five years.
Joy changed her name and birth certificate in 2022, and said she was unaware she needed to list her "deadname" - the name she was previously called - on the petition, although she did present her birth certificate to the Stark County Board of Elections. The state law regarding name changes and petitions dates back to the 1990's, and is not listed on the candidate guidelines on the Secretary of State's website.
Joy says she has reached out to the House Democratic Caucus for guidance, and has until Friday to appeal the decision. She is one of four candidates who declared for state office in Ohio.
