Nickie Antonio

Nickie J. Antonio
Member of the Ohio House of Representatives from the 13th district
Incumbent
Assumed office January 3, 2011
Preceded by	Michael J. Skindell
Member of the Lakewood City Council
In office 2005–2010
Constituency	At-large
Personal details
Born	June 2, 1955 (1955-06-02) (age 56)
Political party	Democratic
Domestic partner	Jean Kosmac
Residence	Lakewood, Ohio
Alma mater	Cleveland State University
Profession	Educator

Nickie J. Antonio (born June 2, 1955) is a politician from Lakewood, Ohio. A Democrat, she serves in the Ohio House of Representatives representing the 13th district, which is located entirely within Cuyahoga County and contains all of the city of Lakewood as well as parts of Cleveland. A former member of Lakewood City Council, she was elected to the legislature in 2010 and took office on January 3, 2011.

Early life and career

Antonio attended Lutheran High School West and is an alumna of Cleveland State University, where she earned both a Bachelor of Science degree in Education and a Master of Public Administration.^[1] She is a former special education teacher, adjunct professor and non-profit administrator, as well as a former chair of the Cuyahoga Democratic Women's Caucus.^[2]

Antonio was first elected to Lakewood City Council in 2005, winning an at-large seat. She was re-elected in 2009, receiving the most votes in a field of six candidates chasing three seats.

Ohio House of Representatives

Shortly after her re-election, she announced her candidacy for the Ohio House, running in the Democratic primary against fellow Lakewood councilmember Tom Bullock. In the primary election held on May 4, 2010, Antonio defeated Bullock by 54% to 46% - a margin of 609 votes.^[3] No Republican filed for the seat in the heavily Democratic district so Antonio won the general election unopposed.

She took her seat in the House on January 3, 2011. In the 129th General Assembly, she serves on three committees: Commerce and Labor, Education, and Health and Aging. She also serves on the Joint Council on Developmental Disabilities; and the Unified Long-Term Care Advisory Workgroup.

Policies and initiatives

In one of her first legislative priorities along with Ted Celeste, Antonio has opted to try and eliminate the death penalty in the state of Ohio.^[4] Celeste has pointed to evidence that the penalty has been discriminatory toward minorities.^[5]

Antonio is a staunch opponent of S.B. 5, which looks to eliminate many aspects of collective bargaining. When asked if she would work to amend the bill, she stated it is beyond repair.^[6]

Along with Mike Foley, Antonio introduced a Works Progress Administration-style provision that would allow for $200 million to be appropriated to allow for the creation of 5,000 entry-level jobs across Ohio. Antonio calls it a jobs plan that would actually help to stimulate the economy.^[7]

Pro-choice, Antonio has fought against numerous pro-life initiatives since becoming a state representative.^[8]

Personal

Antonio is a lesbian; her partner is Jean Kosmac and the couple have two daughters.^[9] She is the first (and, as of January 2011, only) openly gay person to have served in the Ohio General Assembly.^[2][10]

References

1. ^ "The Voter Guide, State Representative 13th District". http://z3.thevoterguide.org/v/cleveland/race-detail.do?id=193047035&sfr. 
2. ^ ^{a b} "Lakewood council member Nickie Antonio might become first openly gay state lawmaker". The Plain Dealer. 9 May 2010. http://www.cleveland.com/open/index.ssf/2010/05/lakewood_council_member_likely.html. Retrieved 2010-05-09. 
3. ^ "Nickie J. Antonio wins Democratic nomination for District 13 Ohio House Representative". Sun Post Herald. 5 May 2010. http://www.cleveland.com/sun/all/index.ssf/2010/05/nickie_j_antonio_wins_democrat_1.html. Retrieved 2010-05-05. 
4. ^ Johnson, Alan (2011-03-15). "Bill proposes ending Ohio's death penalty". Columbus Dispatch. http://www.dispatchpolitics.com/live/content/local_news/stories/2011/03/15/copy/bill-proposes-ending-ohios-death-penalty.html?adsec=politics&sid=101. Retrieved 2011-03-15. 
5. ^ Johnson, Alan (2011-04-13). "2 Democrats seek end to Ohio death penalty". Columbus Dispatch. http://www.dispatchpolitics.com/live/content/local_news/stories/2011/04/14/copy/2-dems-seek-end-to-ohio-death-penalty.html?adsec=politics&sid=101. Retrieved 2011-04-14. 
6. ^ Guillen, Joe (2011-03-29). "Ohio's collective bargaining overhaul could see nearly a dozen changes before House committee vote on Tuesday". The Plain Dealer. http://www.cleveland.com/open/index.ssf/2011/03/ohios_collective_bargaining_ov.html. Retrieved 2011-03-30. 
7. ^ Hershey, Bill (2011-06-14). "Two House Dems propose $400M public works jobs’ plan". Dayton Daily News. http://www.daytondailynews.com/blogs/content/shared-gen/blogs/dayton/ohiopolitics/entries/2011/06/13/two_house_dems_propose_400m_pu.html?cxtype=feedbot. Retrieved 2011-06-14. 
8. ^ Hershey, Bill (2011-06-29). "House set to vote Tuesday on “Heartrbeat” bill, two other bills to limit abortions". Dayton Daily News. http://www.daytondailynews.com/blogs/content/shared-gen/blogs/dayton/ohiopolitics/entries/2011/06/27/house_set_to_vote_tuesday_on_h.html?cxtype=feedbot. Retrieved 2011-06-28. 
9. ^ "About Nickie J. Antonio". http://www.nickieantonio.com/?page_id=11. 
10. ^ "Lesbian On Tuesday's Ballot For Ohio State Representative". On Top Magazine. 4 May 2010. http://www.ontopmag.com/article.aspx?id=5675&MediaType=1&Category=26. Retrieved 2010-05-05. 

External links

• The Ohio House of Representatives: Rep. Nickie Antonio (D-Lakewood) official site
• Nickie Antonio for State Representative campaign website

Persondata
Name	Antonio, Nickie
Alternative names
Short description
Date of birth	1955-06-02
Place of birth
Date of death
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