Blab Politics
Stonewall Democrats Launch First Billboards in Owen County to Promote LGBTQ+ Candidates
Bright signs now flank Indiana 67 near Boston Scientific and Indiana 46 between Ellettsville and Spencer, the first time the Stonewall Democrats of South Central Indiana have put a local political message on public display in Owen County.
The two billboards were purchased with a $1,500 donation from the Stonewall Democrats, a grassroots political action committee that backs LGBTQIA+ Democratic candidates in Monroe, Lawrence, Greene, Morgan, and Owen counties. The organization has traditionally avoided endorsing candidates in areas where it finds none that align with its values.
"We usually don’t have candidates running there, and we are absolutely thrilled," said Wayne Shepherd, president of the Stonewall group. Shepherd credited Collin Rotella, the Democratic candidate for Morgan Township trustee, with spearheading the effort to bring more non‑traditional candidates into a heavily Republican area. In the 2024 presidential election, 75 % of Owen County voters supported Donald Trump.
The billboards list six Democrats: Jacob Balash (Clay Township board), Stephanie Barlow (Morgan Township board), Shea Finnegan (Franklin Township board), Ruth Jones (Washington Township board), Phillip O’Neil (Washington Township trustee), and Collin Rotella (Morgan Township trustee). The slate includes two gay cisgender men, two bisexual transgender men, a non‑binary bisexual person, and a straight cisgender woman. Sexual orientation is not shown on the signs; the candidates are identified only as Democrats.
All six candidates face Republican opposition. Jones, a 70‑year‑old straight woman, said she wants more choice for Owen County residents. "We need some Democrats to vote for," she told the article. Finnegan, who has lived in Owen County since 2013, said Rotella convinced him to run for trustee in his township. "We had a hard time finding information about how to contact your trustee, and I remembered when I was a social worker I referred people there for help and they told me they never heard back," Finnegan said. He added that the candidates’ faces are known in the communities where they live, work, and volunteer.
Rotella has lived on five acres in Morgan Township, home to the small towns of Poland and Bowling Green, since 2020. He is a precinct chairman and has been appointed to the county plan commission. If elected, he plans to establish a website so residents know where the office is, when it is open, and what services are offered. Rotella cited the current trustee’s 2018 misdemeanor conviction for dissemination of material harmful to minors as a reason for his candidacy.
Spencer Pride founder Jacob Balash, a gay man running for a seat on Clay Township’s advisory board, said the billboards send a message. "No one expects a little town to have so many queer candidates. Spencer has been underestimated so many times," he told the article.
The billboards were unveiled on September 9, the same day the article was published. The last day to register to vote in Owen County is October 5, and Election Day is November 3.
The Stonewall Democrats of South Central Indiana is a grassroots political action committee that supports LGBTQIA+ Democratic candidates for offices relevant to Monroe, Lawrence, Greene, Morgan, and Owen counties. The organization’s mission is to improve the lives of LGBTQI+ people at the local and state levels.
This campaign represents a rare instance of an LGBTQ+‑focused group endorsing candidates in a rural, conservative county that has historically leaned Republican. Whether the six candidates will win their races remains to be seen, but the billboards have already drawn attention to the possibility of more diverse representation in local Indiana government.
The next steps for the candidates will depend on the outcome of the November elections. If any of them are elected, they will face the task of building on the support they have received and addressing the needs of their constituents in a county that has shown strong Republican support in recent presidential elections.
The Stonewall Democrats’ investment in Owen County reflects a broader strategy to increase LGBTQ+ representation in local offices across Indiana, a goal that has gained traction in recent years as more out candidates run for public office.
The billboards also highlight the challenges of campaigning in rural areas, where voters may be less familiar with LGBTQ+ issues and where traditional party loyalties are strong. The Stonewall Democrats’ willingness to invest in this effort signals a commitment to expanding the political landscape in Indiana.
The campaign’s success will be measured by the November vote, with the last day to register on October 5 and Election Day on November 3. Until then, the billboards remain a visible reminder of the growing presence of LGBTQ+ candidates in local elections.
The two billboards were purchased with a $1,500 donation from the Stonewall Democrats, a grassroots political action committee that backs LGBTQIA+ Democratic candidates in Monroe, Lawrence, Greene, Morgan, and Owen counties. The organization has traditionally avoided endorsing candidates in areas where it finds none that align with its values.
"We usually don’t have candidates running there, and we are absolutely thrilled," said Wayne Shepherd, president of the Stonewall group. Shepherd credited Collin Rotella, the Democratic candidate for Morgan Township trustee, with spearheading the effort to bring more non‑traditional candidates into a heavily Republican area. In the 2024 presidential election, 75 % of Owen County voters supported Donald Trump.
The billboards list six Democrats: Jacob Balash (Clay Township board), Stephanie Barlow (Morgan Township board), Shea Finnegan (Franklin Township board), Ruth Jones (Washington Township board), Phillip O’Neil (Washington Township trustee), and Collin Rotella (Morgan Township trustee). The slate includes two gay cisgender men, two bisexual transgender men, a non‑binary bisexual person, and a straight cisgender woman. Sexual orientation is not shown on the signs; the candidates are identified only as Democrats.
All six candidates face Republican opposition. Jones, a 70‑year‑old straight woman, said she wants more choice for Owen County residents. "We need some Democrats to vote for," she told the article. Finnegan, who has lived in Owen County since 2013, said Rotella convinced him to run for trustee in his township. "We had a hard time finding information about how to contact your trustee, and I remembered when I was a social worker I referred people there for help and they told me they never heard back," Finnegan said. He added that the candidates’ faces are known in the communities where they live, work, and volunteer.
Rotella has lived on five acres in Morgan Township, home to the small towns of Poland and Bowling Green, since 2020. He is a precinct chairman and has been appointed to the county plan commission. If elected, he plans to establish a website so residents know where the office is, when it is open, and what services are offered. Rotella cited the current trustee’s 2018 misdemeanor conviction for dissemination of material harmful to minors as a reason for his candidacy.
Spencer Pride founder Jacob Balash, a gay man running for a seat on Clay Township’s advisory board, said the billboards send a message. "No one expects a little town to have so many queer candidates. Spencer has been underestimated so many times," he told the article.
The billboards were unveiled on September 9, the same day the article was published. The last day to register to vote in Owen County is October 5, and Election Day is November 3.
The Stonewall Democrats of South Central Indiana is a grassroots political action committee that supports LGBTQIA+ Democratic candidates for offices relevant to Monroe, Lawrence, Greene, Morgan, and Owen counties. The organization’s mission is to improve the lives of LGBTQI+ people at the local and state levels.
This campaign represents a rare instance of an LGBTQ+‑focused group endorsing candidates in a rural, conservative county that has historically leaned Republican. Whether the six candidates will win their races remains to be seen, but the billboards have already drawn attention to the possibility of more diverse representation in local Indiana government.
The next steps for the candidates will depend on the outcome of the November elections. If any of them are elected, they will face the task of building on the support they have received and addressing the needs of their constituents in a county that has shown strong Republican support in recent presidential elections.
The Stonewall Democrats’ investment in Owen County reflects a broader strategy to increase LGBTQ+ representation in local offices across Indiana, a goal that has gained traction in recent years as more out candidates run for public office.
The billboards also highlight the challenges of campaigning in rural areas, where voters may be less familiar with LGBTQ+ issues and where traditional party loyalties are strong. The Stonewall Democrats’ willingness to invest in this effort signals a commitment to expanding the political landscape in Indiana.
The campaign’s success will be measured by the November vote, with the last day to register on October 5 and Election Day on November 3. Until then, the billboards remain a visible reminder of the growing presence of LGBTQ+ candidates in local elections.
