David Ermold, who was twice denied a license to marry his male partner David Moore by a county clerk in 2015, is all set to run against her in the elections to be held in May 2018. Ermold announced his candidacy Wednesday as a Democrat against clerk Kim Davis of Rowan County, Kentucky.

Ermold and Moore, the same-sex couple was denied marriage license two years back. After announcing his candidacy campaign on Facebook, Ermold said: “We need to restore the integrity of that office. I wasn’t treated fairly myself,” Reuters reported.

Ermold, after being denied the marriage license for the second time said at the time: “This is how gay people are treated in this country, this is what it's like, this is their experience, this is how it feels.”

However, Ermold and Moore obtained a license on Sept. 26, 2015, Reuters reported.

Ermold has been a resident of Morehead, Rowan County, Kentucky, for the last 14 years. He grew up in the suburbs of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and came to Kentucky 19 years ago to be with his boyfriend, now husband, Moore. He has earned two masters’ degrees — one in communications and the other in English from the Morehead State University.

Ermold, who works as an Assistant Professor of English at the University of Pikeville, said to the Associated Press: “I think we need to deal with the circumstances and the consequences of what happened. 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.”

He is also the leader of the local gay rights organization Morehead Pride. He said to the Washington Post, “My commitment to Rowan County is to restore professional leadership, fairness, and responsibility to the clerk’s office.”

According to a report in Chicago Tribune, Ermold believes that he is competent and highly qualified to run the office that keeps county’s records of real estate transactions and car registrations.

Talking about his run for the Clerk County seat on his official website, davidermold.com, Ermold said, “If elected as Rowan County Clerk, my commitment to you is to restore professional leadership, fairness, and responsibility to the office.”

He added: “I will build upon the successes of the past, and I will seek solutions for the challenges we may still face. Responsible leadership takes hard work and dedication. Working together, we can set a standard of excellence that is unmatched in the Commonwealth of Kentucky.”

He said to the Reuters: “We need someone who is going to stay focused on our community instead of focusing on the interests or agendas of outside organizations and politicians.”

Ermold also said that his campaign will not only focus on the LGBT rights but will also give prominence to other issues.

According to a report in the Associated Press, Ermold said: “People ... are back home bickering and fighting with each other and fighting on social media. This campaign we are putting together is about unity and bringing people together and restoring fairness.”

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