Charmaine defeated a homophobic primary opponent and a
general election opponent accused of terrorizing communities of color
Washington, DC – Charmaine McGuffey won her race for sheriff in Hamilton County, Ohio in a race that captured national headlines because of her outspoken criticism of homophobia, sexism and racism in the police force. McGuffey will be the first openly LGBTQ person and first woman to serve as sheriff in the county. Throughout her campaign, McGuffey emphasized that her experiences as a lesbian and as a woman would make her a better sheriff, including in a powerful television ad weeks before Election Day.
McGuffey defeated the incumbent sheriff in the Democratic primary in June with 70 percent of the vote. The incumbent had fired McGuffey in 2016 because she is a lesbian, despite her receiving local and regional awards for her work. Tuesday night, McGuffey defeated a general election opponent who she accused of terrorizing communities of color and of having a history of using excessive force. He also shot and killed an unarmed Black man in 1990.
Mayor Annise Parker, President & CEO of LGBTQ Victory Fund, released the following statement about the historic victory:
“Charmaine ran on a platform of reform against men accused of homophobia, sexism, racism and excessive uses of force. Her victory is vital during this pivotal moment for our nation, when the demands of protesters must be shared by the elected officials who represent them. Throughout her campaign, Charmaine built trust with voters by sharing her authentic story as a lesbian and a woman in a profession were there are too few of either. Charmaine’s strategy will be emulated by other LGBTQ candidates running as change agents.”
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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.