Obergefell plans to announce Ohio House run

SANDUSKY — Sandusky native Jim Obergefell, famous for his role in the U.S. Supreme Court decision that legalized same-sex marriage, announced Monday he will make an "important announcement" today on his plans for 2022. Sources said he is running for the Ohio House. A press conference has been scheduled for 9 a.m. Tuesday. Obergefell, a 1984 Sandusky High School graduate, moved back to the Sandusky area in June from Washington, D.C. City officials responded by honoring him at the fourth annual Sandusky Pride Festival, giving Obergefell the keys to the city. "I'm so happy to be home," Obergefell told the crowd. Obergefell was listed as the lead plaintiff on Obergefell v. Hodges, the U.S. Supreme Court decision announced on June 26, 2015, that legalized same-sex marriage in all 50 states in a 5-4 ruling. The court case stemmed from difficulties Obergefell encountered in his personal life. When Obergefell's partner, John Arthur, became ill with ALS, also known as "Lou Gehrig's disease," the couple decided to get married. At the time, they were not allowed to marry in Ohio, so instead they flew to Maryland in a chartered medical plane and got married on the tarmac in a Baltimore, Maryland, airport. When Arthur died on Oct. 22, 2013, Ohio state officials argued against recognizing same-sex marriages on death certificates. In "Love Wins," a book about the case co-authored by Obergefell and Debbie Cenziper, a passage quotes Obergefell's attorney describing the issue: "When James Obergefell and John Arthur started this case, they really had a simple goal. John Arthur was going to die and they wanted his Ohio death certificate to accurately report that he was married and that James Obergefell was his surviving spouse." Obergefell said last summer there's still work to be done. "We still aren't equal. We have the right to marry but don't think we have marriage equality," Obergefell said. "Until we can all say, 'We the people,' there is work to do."