Kentucky resident David Ermold found himself at the epicenter of a media firestorm in 2015 when he and his now-husband, David Moore, were denied a marriage license by Rowan County Clerk Kim Davis. More than two years later, Ermold says he’s “ready to move on” from the disappointment he experienced that day by unseating Davis as county clerk in 2018. The 43-year-old, who is an assistant professor of English at the University of Pikeville, formally announced his candidacy Wednesday after weeks of speculation. The Democrat told HuffPost he sees the role as an opportunity to help bring people together from both sides of the political aisle in a community that’s been splintered since Davis’s anti-marriage equality crusade made global headlines.

Two years ago, Kim Davis denied David Ermold a marriage license because he was gay, despite it being legalized.



Today, she had to watch as he signed up to run against her in the next election. pic.twitter.com/y6HSoThcNi — Cole Ledford (@ColeLedford11) December 6, 2017

David Ermold “If I’m going to point out something that’s wrong, then I want to be a part of the solution, too," said David Ermold, left, with husband David Moore.

“The trip to Romania ... I think that’s what really triggered me,” he said. “Our county clerk needs to be focused more on our people, and not so much on trying to spread a message of divide across the world.” Seeing Davis embraced by former Republican presidential hopefuls Ted Cruz and Mike Huckabee in 2015 after she was released from jail was similarly infuriating, Ermold recalled. “Those despicable acts of those politicians are almost more hurtful than the denial of the marriage license itself,” he said. “Those are the people that our children are supposed to be looking up to.” Ermold is aware, of course, that his bid comes at a time when many in the queer community are concerned for their future in America’s political climate. In recent months, President Donald Trump has taken a hard line against LGBTQ rights, while politicians like Alabama Senate candidate Roy Moore have run on an anti-queer platform.

“Some ... have said I need to avoid the word ‘LGBTQ.’ They say I need to avoid the word ‘gay,’ and I can understand that. But here’s the thing: it’s a part of my identity. And it’s a little dishonest to avoid that.”

He’s already faced some criticism, too. Speaking to The Associated Press, Mat Staver, Davis’ attorney, blasted Ermold for being “a single-issue” candidate who would have “no idea how to run a clerk’s office.” “All David has is one issue,” Staver told the AP. “Much of what the clerk does has nothing to do with wedding licenses. It’s a broad service to the public.” Ermold didn’t seem too vexed. “Some ... have said I need to avoid the word ‘LGBTQ.’ They say I need to avoid the word ‘gay,’ and I can understand that,” he said. “That’s not the central focus of our campaign. But here’s the thing: it’s a part of my identity. And it’s a little dishonest to avoid that.” Ultimately, he added, his bid for county clerk would be about looking to the future rather than rehashing controversies of the past. “The people in our community are ready to move on, and they don’t want Kim Davis out there making announcements, going to other countries and dragging us through the dirt over and over and over again,” he said. “And that’s what she keeps doing. They want it to stop, and we’re going to make it stop.”