by Eric Resnick

Columbus--For the second time this year, Ohio’s capital city has a chance to have a gay member of city council, this time by election.

Bill Brownson, 43, has made his candidacy official, and despite some initial malaise and loyalty questioning within the Franklin County Republican Party because he is gay, he has earned their endorsement. This allows him to replace a name on the ballot that the party filed earlier as a placeholder.

Columbus council elections are non-partisan, though the parties put up candidates and support them. In November, voters will choose four from a field of seven, four Democrats and three Republicans. Currently, all seven council members, who serve at large, are Democrats.

When a vacancy occurs, Columbus city council has traditionally tried to replace members of underserved constituencies with someone who fills the same demographic, to honor the diversity of city government.

However, council Democrats angered the LGBT community in April when a qualified and well-funded gay man, Steven Farrell, was overlooked by council for an appointment.

This left no LGBT representation on council after Mary Jo Hudson, the city’s first openly lesbian official, joined the administration of Governor Ted Strickland in January.

Brownson is a Republican that many LGBT Democrats can support.

At a Stonewall Democrats fundraiser in May, shortly after Farrell was passed over but before Brownson made his candidacy official, many LGBT Democrats said they would support Brownson if he decided to get in the race.

Brownson moved to Columbus to attend Ohio State University in 1982 and has lived there since. He has a masters of business administration degree and is a vice president at J.P. Morgan Chase, specializing in philanthropy and non-profit portfolio management. He is also a nationally recognized lecturer on the topic.

Brownson is a member of the Franklin County Republican executive committee and a member of the Circles Neighborhood Association. He also advises the Columbus Foundation and is the financial chair of King Avenue United Methodist Church.

The LGBT community knows Brownson as co-chair of the Legacy Fund, and as part of the group that founded Equality Ohio.

Brownson chaired the national Log Cabin Republicans from 2003-2005. Under his leadership, the board voted to deny George W. Bush an endorsement, and to file suit against Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld over “don’t ask don’t tell.” It was these two actions that caused the local Republican Party to question his loyalty.

During the Ohio House speakership of Jo Ann Davidson from 1995-2000, Brownson worked behind the scenes, lobbying Davidson and committee chairs against advancing anti-LGBT proposals that were coming from the right wing of the party.

In 1999, Brownson worked with LGBT activists to pass the city’s domestic partner benefits ordinance. The ordinance was passed unanimously by council, which included Republican Jennette Bradley and signed by Republican mayor Greg Lashutka at Brownson’s urging before it was rescinded 90 days later due to public outcry.

The political back story is not lost on Brownson. He says it’s “a good story,” but his candidacy is about other things.

“Council had the chance to appoint a gay person, and they didn’t do it,” Brownson said.

“What’s good for the broader community is also good for the LGBT community,” said Brownson, adding, “but people are underwhelmed in total with the current council and I offer an alternative.”

Brownson says that he brings “missing voices” to the current dialogue, as a gay man, as an inner-city neighborhood resident, as a Republican, and with his business experience.

“When I get elected,” said Brownson, “it is not going to be because voters chose gay or straight. It will be because I make the case for my candidacy.”

Brownson said he expects to raise more campaign money than any other council candidate, and says he will need it to overcome any disadvantages of being gay and of being a Republican in a city that tends to elect Democrats to municipal offices.

He is applying for endorsement by the Victory Fund, a Washington, D.C. group that supports gay and lesbian candidates for office.

If elected, Brownson will become the sixth openly gay or lesbian person currently on an Ohio city council, joining Joe Santiago in Cleveland, Nickie Antonio in Lakewood, Winifred Weizer in University Heights, Mark Tumeo in Cleveland Heights and Eve Sandberg in Oberlin. Other officeholders include Haskins mayor Kenneth Fallows and Dayton school board member Joe Lacey.