Kim Davis Denied This Gay Man a Marriage License. Now He's Running Against Her

Kim Davis—who you may remember as the Kentucky county clerk who refused to issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples despite being constitutionally required to do so—is being challenged for her seat. And guess who’s challenging her? David Ermold, one of the men she refused to marry. Revenge is a dish best served via neatly filed paperwork.

Ermold and his partner of 15 years were among the couples to whom Davis refused to issue a marriage license, even though it meant her spending five nights in jail after she directly disobeyed an order from a federal judge. Things settled down around Rowan County after her release—that is, until Wednesday, when Ermold announced his intention to run:

“It’s official. I’m in! I am proud to announce my entrance into the race for Rowan County Clerk! I am running to restore the people’s confidence in our clerk’s office and because I believe that the leaders of our community should put the needs of their constituents first and should be an example of integrity and fairness.”

In addition to the one up top, here’s another shot of Ermold filing his paperwork—with Davis herself, no less. “Pray Always. Work Hard. Trust God,” reads a wall-hanging behind her. To her left dangles a calendar from a local funeral home. Do with these details what you will.

In addition to Ermold, Davis is being challenged by three other candidates. According to the Chicago Tribune, Davis has worked in the Rowan County Clerks office for nearly three decades, first assisting her mother before taking over after she retired in 2014.

Davis was elected as a Democrat, but switched parties after she felt betrayed by the state’s then-Democratic governor Steve Beshear, who would not allow the names of clerks to be removed from marriage licenses after same-sex marriage became codified into law.

Ermold did not immediately respond to Jezebel’s request for comment, but he did tell the Tribune that his campaign will not focus solely on LGBTQ rights, and that he is tired of the “divide and conquer” style of politics.

“I think we need to deal with the circumstances and the consequences of what happened,” Ermold said. “I don’t think the other candidates are looking at a larger message. I have an obligation here, really, to do this and to set things right.”

Luckily, Kim will have plenty of activities with which to busy herself after she’s ousted, like continuing to bother the Pope, maybe making just one gay friend, and most importantly, finally making that long-delayed porno for Dogfart Network.