{{Short description|American politician (born 1955)}} {{Infobox officeholder |name = Nickie Antonio |image = Nickie Antonio portrait.jpg |office = Minority Leader of the Ohio Senate |term_start = January 3, 2023 |term_end = |predecessor = Kenny Yuko |successor = |state_senate1 = Ohio |district1 = 23rd |term_start1 = January 7, 2019 |term_end1 = |predecessor1 = Mike Skindell |successor1 = |state_house2 = Ohio |district2 = 13th |term_start2 = January 3, 2011 |term_end2 = December 31, 2018 |predecessor2 = Mike Skindell |successor2 = Mike Skindell |birth_date = {{birth date and age|1955|6|2}} |birth_place = |death_date = |death_place = |party = Democratic |spouse = Jean Kosmac |education = Cleveland State University (BS, MPA) |website = {{url|https://www.nickieantonio.com/|Campaign website}} }} '''Nickie J. Antonio''' (born June 2, 1955) is an American politician from Ohio. A Democrat, she serves in the Ohio Senate representing the 23rd district, which is located in the western portion of Cuyahoga County and contains the western third of Cleveland and some of the nearby western suburbs. She previously served in the Ohio House of Representatives representing the 13th district from 2011 to 2018. A former member of Lakewood City Council, Antonio was elected to the lower chamber of the legislature in 2010 and took office on January 3, 2011, and was re-elected in the 2012 General election, receiving 75% of the vote. She was re-elected consecutively in the General elections of 2014 and 2016. After being term limited in the lower chamber of the legislature, Antonio was elected to the upper chamber of the legislature in 2018 and took office on January 7, 2019.
==Early life and career== Antonio attended Lutheran High School West<ref>{{cite web | title = Representative Nickie Antonio | publisher = Ohio Crime Victim Justice Center | url = https://ocvjc.org/2014_Honoree/representative-nickie-antonio | accessdate = September 16, 2018 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20180916235653/https://ocvjc.org/2014_Honoree/representative-nickie-antonio | archive-date = September 16, 2018 | url-status = dead }}</ref> 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 from the Maxine Goodman Levin College of Urban Affairs.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://z3.thevoterguide.org/v/cleveland/race-detail.do?id=193047035&sfr|title=The Voter Guide, State Representative 13th District}}{{dead link|date=February 2018 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref> In 2011, Antonio completed Harvard University's John F. Kennedy School of Government program for Senior Executives in State and Local Government as a David Bohnett LGBTQ Victory Institute Leadership Fellow. 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.<ref name=first>{{Cite news|url=http://www.cleveland.com/open/index.ssf/2010/05/lakewood_council_member_likely.html |title=Lakewood council member Nickie Antonio might become first openly gay state lawmaker |work=The Plain Dealer |accessdate=2010-05-09 |date=9 May 2010}}</ref>
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== Antonio won 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.<ref name=primary>{{Cite news|url=http://www.cleveland.com/sun/all/index.ssf/2010/05/nickie_j_antonio_wins_democrat_1.html |title=Nickie J. Antonio wins Democratic nomination for District 13 Ohio House Representative |work=Sun Post Herald |accessdate=2010-05-05 |date=5 May 2010}}</ref> No Republican filed for the seat in the heavily Democratic district so Antonio won the general election unopposed.<ref>{{cite web | title = Election Results - Ohio House of Representatives: November 2, 2010 | publisher = Ohio Secretary of State| url = http://www.sos.state.oh.us/sos/elections/Research/electResultsMain/2010results/20101102ohouse.aspx | accessdate = 2013-08-14 }}</ref>
She took her seat in the House on January 3, 2011. In the 129th General Assembly, she served on five committees: Finance and Appropriations, HHS Finance Subcommittee, Commerce, Labor and Technology, Education (as Ranking Member), and Health and Aging. She also serves on the Unified Long-Term Care Advisory Workgroup, the 21st Century Manufacturing Task Force and the Community Health Futures Task Force.
Antonio won a landslide victory reelection to a second term in 2012, by obtaining 75,86% of the vote over Republican John Zappalla.<ref>{{cite web | title = Election Results - Final Results - November 2012 | publisher = Ohio Secretary of State | url = http://www.sos.state.oh.us/sos/upload/elections/2012/gen/FinalResults.xlsx | accessdate = 2013-08-14 | format = Microsoft Excel | url-status = dead | archiveurl = https://web.archive.org/web/20130729175614/http://www.sos.state.oh.us/sos/upload/elections/2012/gen/FinalResults.xlsx | archivedate = 2013-07-29 }}</ref> She would go on to be re-elected two more times.
==Policies and initiatives== In one of her first legislative priorities along with Ted Celeste, Antonio introduced legislation to eliminate the death penalty in the state of Ohio.<ref>{{cite news | first = Alan | last = Johnson | title = Bill proposes ending Ohio's death penalty | date = 2011-03-15 | url = http://www.dispatchpolitics.com/live/content/local_news/stories/2011/03/15/copy/bill-proposes-ending-ohios-death-penalty.html?adsec=politics&sid=101 | work = Columbus Dispatch | accessdate = 2011-03-15 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20110413204952/http://www.dispatchpolitics.com/live/content/local_news/stories/2011/03/15/copy/bill-proposes-ending-ohios-death-penalty.html?adsec=politics&sid=101 | archive-date = 2011-04-13 | url-status = dead }}</ref> Celeste has pointed to evidence that the penalty has been discriminatory toward minorities.<ref>{{cite news | first = Alan | last = Johnson | title = 2 Democrats seek end to Ohio death penalty | date = 2011-04-13 | url = 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 | work = Columbus Dispatch | accessdate = 2011-04-14 }}{{dead link|date=February 2018 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref>
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.<ref>{{cite news | first = Joe | last = Guillen | title = Ohio's collective bargaining overhaul could see nearly a dozen changes before House committee vote on Tuesday | date = 2011-03-29 | url = http://www.cleveland.com/open/index.ssf/2011/03/ohios_collective_bargaining_ov.html | work = The Plain Dealer | accessdate = 2011-03-30}}</ref>
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 help to stimulate the economy.<ref>{{cite news | first = Bill | last = Hershey | title = Two House Dems propose $400M public works jobs' plan | date = 2011-06-14 | url = http://www.daytondailynews.com/blogs/content/shared-gen/blogs/dayton/ohiopolitics/entries/2011/06/13/two_house_dems_propose_400m_pu.html?cxtype=feedbot | work = Dayton Daily News | accessdate = 2011-06-14}}</ref>
A supporter of abortion rights, Antonio has fought against numerous initiatives to restrict abortion rights since becoming a state representative.<ref>{{cite news | first = Bill | last = Hershey | title = House set to vote Tuesday on "Heartrbeat" bill, two other draconian bills to limit abortions | date = 2011-06-29 | url = 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 | work = Dayton Daily News | accessdate = 2011-06-28}}</ref>
==Personal== Antonio is the first openly gay person to have served in the Ohio General Assembly, and a long-time advocate of same-sex marriage rights.<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.ontopmag.com/article.aspx?id=5675&MediaType=1&Category=26 |title=Lesbian On Tuesday's Ballot For Ohio State Representative |work=On Top Magazine |accessdate=2010-05-05 |date=4 May 2010}}</ref> After a 21 year engagement, she was finally able to marry Jean Kosmac in 2013.<ref>{{cite web | url = http://www.dispatch.com/content/blogs/the-daily-briefing/2015/09/09.23.2015-antonio-marries.html | title = Rep. Nickie J. Antonio gets marriage license after 21-year-wait | last = | first = | date = 2015-09-23 | website = The Columbus Dispatch | access-date = 2017-01-05
| quote = }}</ref> The couple have two daughters.<ref>{{cite magazine |title=Love Reigns: Nickie Antonio & Jean Kosmac |url=https://clevelandmagazine.com/in-the-cle/people/articles/love-reigns-nickie-antonio-jean-kosmac |access-date=January 14, 2022 |magazine=Cleveland Magazine |date=August 17, 2015}}</ref>
==References== {{Reflist}}
==External links== *[http://www.senate.state.oh.us/index.php?option=com_displaymembers&task=detail&district=23 The Ohio Senate: Sen. Nickie Antonio (D-Lakewood)] ''official site'' *[http://www.nickieantonio.com/ Nickie Antonio for State Senate] ''campaign website''
{{s-start}} {{s-par|us-oh-sen}} {{s-bef|before=Joe Schiavoni}} {{s-ttl|title=Minority Leader of the Ohio Senate|years=2023–present}} {{s-inc}} {{s-end}}
{{Current Ohio statewide political officials}} {{U.S. State Senate Floor Leaders}} {{Members of the Ohio Senate}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Antonio, Nickie}} Category:1955 births Category:21st-century American women politicians Category:Cleveland State University alumni Category:Democratic Party members of the Ohio House of Representatives Category:Democratic Party Ohio state senators Category:LGBTQ state legislators in Ohio Category:American lesbian politicians Category:Living people Category:Politicians from Lakewood, Ohio Category:Women state legislators in Ohio Category:21st-century members of the Ohio General Assembly