Jim Obergefell, Namesake of Landmark Gay Marriage Case, Loses Long Shot Bid for Ohio State House
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Jim Obergefell, the human rights activist whose landmark Supreme Court case legalized gay marriage nationwide, has lost his bid to serve in Ohio state legislature, according to local reports.
The political newcomer was running to unseat incumbent Republican state Rep. D.J. Swearingen, who has represented the state's 89th District in Columbus since 2019. Obergefell ultimately fell short, getting 38.3% of the vote to Swearingen's 61.7%.
"The results were not what we were hoping for, but that does not mean I will stop fighting," Obergefell said in a statement shared with The Cincinnati Enquirer. "I will always be a champion for all Ohioans, and I will continue to fight for the issues that matter the most to our district."
RELATED: Lead Plaintiff in Historic Gay Marriage Case Announces Ohio State House Campaign
When Obergefell entered the race in January, he made clear that he's not afraid to fight an uphill battle — he'd already been in that position, and the world saw how Obergefell v. Hodges turned out. "I'm not afraid to take on any issue when it's the right thing to do," he said in his first campaign video. "I will bring that same fighting spirit as your state representative."
Obergefell relocated to Washington, D.C. in 2016 following the death of his husband, John Arthur, to get a fresh start. "Being in Cincinnati with John gone was hard," he told PEOPLE in June. "Everywhere I walked, everywhere I looked, it was memories of John and that was tough for me to deal with." His victory at the Supreme Court had also urged him to become more politically engaged, so he decided to spend some time in the nation's capital while he figured out his next moves.
In 2019, after three years in Washington, Obergefell returned to Ohio, the place that still felt like home. Back in the presence of family, he said he realized how his state's politics were in need of reform.
"So many elected officials, they're not public servants, they're not working to make things better for their constituents," he told PEOPLE. "They're not focusing on jobs. They're not focusing on healthcare, education. They're focusing on these divisive extreme right bills and targets."
When someone asked him to consider challenging Swearingen so he could represent the community he was raised in, it felt like the opportunity he'd been seeking to make a change.
"I'm not motivated by my ego. I'm not motivated by my pocketbook," he said. "I want to be part of making things better."
Bridget Barrett Jim Obergefell
The Ohio House's 89th District has not been represented by a Democrat since 2012. In 2016, the Democratic incumbent was narrowly unseated and the district has remained in Republican control since.
In 2018, the Democratic nominee only received 35% of the vote; in 2020, the Democratic nominee received 43%. Newly redrawn maps after the 2020 census made it less clear how Democrats would perform this time around, but Obergefell's name recognition certainly proved advantageous.
"I have to keep being vocal. And for me running for office, that's just part of it," Obergefell said of the campaign. "But it's also making sure that people know I'm not just running as a gay man. I'm running as someone who believes in doing the right thing for everyone."
"Every member of our community is struggling to pay for gas, struggling to pay for groceries, and a lot of us are struggling to find well paying jobs and health care," he added. "We all deserve healthcare as a human right. And we shouldn't go bankrupt when we happen to get sick. Those are things that affect every single person, not just in my district, but in Ohio and across the United States."
In office, state Rep. Swearingen has served on the Ohio House committees on finance, criminal justice, civil justice, and primary and secondary education.
