Ohio actually has a law that says if you legally change your name within the last 5 years, it has to be on the petition. In the article it mentions that there is no place for a previous name (dead name in this instance) on the petition, and the Secretary of State’s candidate guide doesn’t mention this requirement at all.
Apparently other trans candidates had their petitions accepted with no problem.
Even if you’re not ‘stating opinions’ you seem to feel strongly about this. I think the law should be interpreted reasonably and In this case I think it’s fairly obvious there wasn’t any attempt to deceive anyone, the paperwork just wasn’t very clear on the requirements. It’s also a very simple problem to solve.
You appear to want to uphold the law in this particular instance, though, which is what makes you come off as a transphobe. Just trying to explain the negative reactions you’re (rightfully) getting if you are genuinely confused.