Two Victory-endorsed candidates led the pack in Ohio primary elections last night.

In the race for Akron city council, Sandra Kurt nearly tripled the incumbent’s vote count on her way to first place.  Kurt now advances to a general election against a Republican challenger.  If elected, Kurt will become the first openly LGBT elected official in Akron.

In the Lakewood city council race, Nickie Antonio leads the group of six challengers who will move onto the general election.

In August, Ohio’s Gay People’s Chronicle ran an informative bio on Antonio, who is gaining significant political momentum.

Nickie J. Antonio, first elected in 2005, is seeking a second four year term.

“I bring [lesbian] sensitivity to whatever I do,” Antonio said, “So when we [council] talk about community, we’re truly talking about everyone in the community.”

Ohio’s general election will be held November 3.

Victory-endorsed candidate Sandra Kurt received a major endorsement today.  Akron’s only daily newspaper, the Akron Beacon Journal, has come out in support of the openly lesbian candidate for the Ward 8 city council seat.  The newspaper cited Kurt’s dedication to community development in its ringing endorsement.

An industrial engineer at Goodyear, Kurt would bring a fresh perspective to help the city come to grips with more efficient and effective ways of delivering services. She realistically grasps the city’s budget squeeze, recognizing that cuts to police and fire personnel likely cannot be avoided, and would urge a long-needed rethinking about how the departments function. She also is a strong proponent of regionalism as a way to reduce administrative costs and improve performance.

When the city moves forward with complex projects, her engineering background would come into play. Since 2004, Kurt has been project manager for corporate facilities planning and operations analysis in Akron, developing and administering the company’s capital plan. Also appealing is her willingness to engage at the grass roots. Among other positions, she is past vice president of the Summit County Progressive Democrats, and she volunteers for the Battered Women’s Shelter.

Palm Springs, Calif., Mayor Steve Pougnet, who is running for Congress next year, is among 15 new endorsements of openly gay and lesbian political candidates announced today by the Victory Fund.  The other 14 candidates are:

Toni Atkins–California State Assembly, District 76 (2010 election)

Jay Barth–Arkansas State Senate, District 34 (2010 election)

Adam Brackman–Atlanta City Council

Todd Connor–Water Reclamation District of Chicago Commission (2010 election)

Michael Gongora–Miami Beach Commission

Rob Holland–Seattle Port Commission

Sharyn Keiser–New Hope City Council, Pennsylvania

Jeff Kingsbury–Olympia City Council, WA

Sandra Kurt–Akron City Council, OH

Sue Lovell–Houston City Council, TX

Sherry Roberts–Miami Beach Commission

Mark Tumeo–Cleveland Heights City Council, OH

Kyle Williams–Decatur City Commission, GA
Jack Zatz–Marlboro Township Council, NJ