Ohio Republican lawmaker proposes election bill that could protect transgender candidates

This story originally appeared on The Buckeye Flame.Ahead of the 2024 general election, Ohio Rep. Tex Fischer (Boardman), a Republican, was nearly disqualified after failing to disclose his former legal name on a petition for candidacy.Earlier that year, two of Fischer’s Republican colleagues – both running against transgender candidates in the general election – used the same obscure law to challenge the candidacy of three transgender Ohioans seeking public office, including their own opponents.Now Fischer is proposing a new bill that would formally address the name-change law and protect transgender candidates from being forcibly outed during the election process.In May, Fischer proposed Ohio House Bill (HB) 950, which would require a dedicated space for former names on nominating petitions and declarations of candidacy, while also removing a requirement that former names appear on ballots themselves.Fischer did not respond to The Buckeye Flame’s request for comment at the time print, but has previously discussed both his plans for election reform and his thoughts on transgender candidates across the state.“I do feel for the other candidates who dealt with this issue,” he told The Buckeye Flame in September 2024. “I don’t think any of them ever intended to deceive anyone and simply wished to participate in the process and be true to themselves.”“If someone wants to run for office, they should be allowed to,” Fischer added. “The voters can elect or reject them based on their own merits and their platforms, rather than technicalities that candidates are rarely aware of.”Pushing for election reformAside from an explicit exception that allows married women to omit their maiden names, all Ohioans are already required to list any legal name changes that occurred within the last five years on their petitions for candidacy. However, there is not currently a dedicated space to list former names on declarations of candidacy or nominating petitions.