DENIED

Kim Davis, Who Refused to Issue Gay-Marriage Licenses, Loses Re-Election Bid

Three years after she infamously defied federal orders to issue same-sex marriage licenses.

Kim Davis, the Kentucky county clerk who sparked a furious legal battle when she denied a gay couple their marriage license in 2015, lost her re-election bid on Tuesday night. Davis first made national headlines following the Supreme Court’s landmark decision mandating county clerks provide marriage licenses to same-sex couples. As Rowan County clerk, Davis refused, citing personal religious objections to same sex-marriage. After a legal battle, she continued to defy federal orders and repeatedly refused to issue marriage licenses until she was jailed for contempt of court. She was defeated by Democratic opponent Elwood Caudill Jr., who defeated in the Democratic primary a gay man named David Ermold who was denied a marriage license by Davis.