Staff Reports
In a decision that left the conservative community shaking their heads, Ohio’s 50th district was declared a transgender-free zone after Vanessa Joy, a biological man who identifies as a woman, was disqualified for not using their birth name in election filings. Despite gathering enough signatures to secure a spot as the lone Democratic candidate for the seat, Joy’s petition only included the new first and last names they adopted within the past five years, a clear violation of a 1995 election law. This law, which doesn’t apply to name changes over ten years old, has been called unintentionally discriminatory by Joy, who has filed an appeal with the Stark County Board of Elections.
A transgender woman running for an Ohio House seat was disqualified for not using a birth name in election filings.
Vanessa Joy, a biological man who identifies as a woman, was the lone Democratic candidate campaigning for the seat in Ohio's 50thhttps://t.co/jtWQCsgO9p
— Conservative News Daily (@ConservNewsDly) January 4, 2024
The honorable incumbent, Rep. Reggie Stoltzfus, of Ohio’s 50th district has had a stranglehold on the seat since 2018. In 2020, Stoltzfus ran unopposed, a testament to his popularity and the lack of legitimate competition. With Joy out of the race, Republican candidate Matthew Kishman can now coast to victory without breaking a sweat.
Not only was Joy disqualified, but their argument that the law unfairly targets the LGBTQIA2S+ community has been met with rolled eyes from the conservative side. Joy has declared that their campaign’s main goal was to “break the Republican supermajority that has a stranglehold on human rights” in the state. This kind of rhetoric isn’t doing anything to help bridge the gap between the polarized political factions. It’s just more of the same from the left – playing the victim card and accusing the right of discrimination at every turn.
It seems Joy isn’t the only transgender person taking a stab at Ohio’s government, as there are at least three other transgender women running as candidates in Republican districts. Maybe they should all have read the fine print on the election laws before deciding to throw their hats in the ring. This whole situation is a perfect example of why the conservative base feels that the left is out of touch with reality. Let’s hope the voters in Ohio’s 50th district see through the circus and make the right choice at the ballot box.
