All nine Victory Fund-endorsed candidates advance after Tuesday night primaries

Washington, DC – Ohio State Rep. Nickie Antonio won the Democratic primary election Tuesday night in a safe Democratic district and will almost certainly become the first openly LGBTQ state senator in Ohio come November. Rep. Antonio – a Victory Fund Spotlight candidate – defeated an anti-LGBTQ challenger who authored an anti-trans amendment to Cleveland’s non-discrimination ordinance when a city councilmember. Rep. Antonio is one of nine Victory Fund-endorsed candidates with primaries Tuesday night – all of which advanced to general elections or general election run-offs.

“Nickie Antonio is on-track to make history as the first openly LGBTQ person elected to the Ohio state Senate – and Ohioans are fortunate to have her,” said Mayor Annise Parker, President & CEO of LGBTQ Victory Fund. “At a time when too many politicians choose self-interest and talking points over the needs of constituents, Nickie thrives on understanding her community and advancing legislation that positively impacts people’s lives. While Nickie has been crucial to advancing equality issues during her time in the state House, we know all Ohioans will benefit from her work on their behalf.”

Of the nine Victory Fund-endorsed candidates, seven won their primaries and two advanced to the general election run-offs, including:

Rick Neal , candidate for U.S. House of Representatives, OH-15

Reed Gusciora , candidate for Mayor of Trenton, NJ (advanced to the run-off)

J.D. Ford , candidate for Indiana State Senate, District 29

Cecil Brockman , candidate for North Carolina House of Representatives, District 60

Deb Butler , candidate for North Carolina House of Representatives, District 18

Allison Dahle , candidate for North Carolina House of Representatives, District 11

Elvin Montero , candidate for Trenton (NJ) City Council (advanced to the run-off)

Mark Kleinschmidt, candidate for Orange County (NC) Superior Court Clerk

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LGBTQ Victory Fund

LGBTQ Victory Fund works to change the face and voice of America’s politics and achieve equality for LGBTQ Americans by increasing the number of openly LGBTQ elected officials at all levels of government.

victoryfund.org