ST. MARYS, Ohio (WCMH) -- A candidate who previously ran for the Statehouse has been appointed to serve as Ohio's first openly transgender city council member. Arienne Childrey was sworn in on Monday as the Fourth ward council member for St. Marys, a west Ohio city in Auglaize County. The 42-year-old is stepping into the role after the county's Democratic Party Central Committee voted for her on Jan. 6 to fill the seat of former member Robin Willoughby, who retired at the end of last year. Crisis calls from LGBTQ+ youth in Ohio surge after ‘outing’ bill signed into law "I understand what it's like to face challenges and to feel as though your voice is going unheard. That's why I am deeply committed to ensuring that every resident of St. Marys has a seat at the table and that our city government remains responsive, transparent and accountable," Childrey said in a statement. "I am ready to roll up my sleeves and get to work for all of you." Childrey is serving as Ohio's first and only openly trans member of a city council, according to LGBTQ+ Victory Fund, a political action committee dedicated to electing LGBTQ+ candidates. The victory fund said Childrey's appointment is "trailblazing a path of representation for trans women in city government in Ohio." Arienne Childrey was sworn in on Monday as the 4th ward council member for St. Marys. (Courtesy Photo/Arienne Childrey) "Arienne is a fighter and will be an important voice for her constituents in championing civic pride, jobs, and economic development," the fund said. "At a time when LGBTQ+ and specifically trans rights are under attack, including direct attacks on her, the news of Arienne's appointment is a bright light that demonstrates that trans people are here and ready to serve." Childrey will complete the remainder of Willoughby's term, which ends on Dec. 31 of this year. In her statement, she thanked Willoughby for her years of dedication to St. Marys, and said she is eager to work with her fellow council members to address the priorities of the community. The council member was one of several trans candidates who ran for the Ohio Statehouse last November, and was nearly disqualified from the ballot for not including her deadname -- the name a trans person was assigned at birth but that does not align with their gender identity -- on paperwork. The name requirement also nearly disqualified Rep. Tex Fischer (R-Boardman), who changed his name to Austin James Texford Fischer when he began going by "Tex." MAP: CDC reports surge in respiratory illnesses in Ohio, nationwide Childrey ran as the Democratic nominee for the Ohio House's 84th district, but lost against Republican Rep. Angie King. At the time, Childrey told NBC4 her campaign was dedicated to combating false perceptions of the trans community by running on bipartisan solutions for issues like housing reform and access to healthcare. "I'm happy to be the quote 'trans candidate,' but there's a lot more to who I am," Childrey said. "I'm ready to put in the time for the people of Ohio and to show them, that for once, the most corrupt legislature in the county can be cleaned up, can be fixed and we can have people who actually care." The campaign intensified when King introduced a bill that would've made it easier to question a candidacy like Childrey's. Had the measure passed, it would've allowed any eligible voter, regardless of party affiliation, to formally protest a political party's candidate, while current law only allows an individual to challenge a candidate who is part of their same party. "An issue was brought to light when a protest was presented to the board of elections against a petition of candidacy for noncompliance and failure to provide a former name as required by law," said King, referring to Childrey during the bill's first hearing in May. "Some may try to portray this as an obscure law, but it's a candidacy requirement that's been in effect since 1939." Braden’s Law: How Ohio is strengthening punishments for sextortion Childrey said she supported a dueling bill introduced by Democrats that would've amended the former name requirement, adding an exemption from disclosure if the change of name was granted by any court in the state of Ohio. Since then, Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose has updated the paperwork that nearly disqualified Childrey and other trans candidates by including a larger space for the candidate's name and instructions that say to "include all prior names used in the past 5 years." Childrey argued that the forms' previous versions "were designed in a way that effectively excluded many trans individuals from complying with their provisions." "While I firmly believe that no trans person should ever be forced to deadname themselves, I am relieved that the forms have been updated to remove this unnecessary barrier," she said. "This change gives trans individuals the ability to weigh the personal cost of disclosing their deadnames against the opportunity to pursue public service."