Gay marriage Supreme Court plaintiff Jim Obergefell will run for state legislature in

COLUMBUS, Ohio – The lead plaintiff in the U.S. Supreme Court case that made gay marriage legal throughout the United States has embarked on a new political crusade: He’s running for a state legislative district in his hometown of Sandusky.

Jim Obergefell announced Tuesday that he’s seeking the 89th Ohio House District seat that’s currently held by Republican D.J. Swearingen of Huron, which includes Erie and Ottawa counties. He said he’ll prioritize protecting Lake Erie, will invite the next governor to visit the North Coast, and begin forming a bipartisan Lake Erie caucus to focus on the resource on day one on the job.

“You deserve a representative who does the right thing, no matter what,” said a statement from Obergefell. “You deserve a representative who fights to make things better for everyone,” Obergefell said. “I’ve been part of a national civil rights case that made life better for millions of Americans. Simply put, I fight for what’s right and just.”

Obergefell was among a large group of plaintiffs whose petitions to the U.S. Supreme Court resulted in a 2015 decision that legalized gay marriage nationwide. His name was listed first in the court brief, so the case bore his name. A Cincinnati resident when the lawsuit was filed, Obergefell had married John Arthur in Maryland when Arthur was terminally ill. Obergefell sued the state of Ohio for failing to recognize him as Arthur’s spouse on his death certificate.

“We should all be able to participate fully in society and the economy, living in strong communities with great public schools, access to quality healthcare, and with well-paying jobs that allow us to stay in the community we love, with the family we care about,” said a statement from Obergefell.