This could be the most important election of our lifetime, and as we watch yard signs pop up around town, the national conversation begins shifting to questions about who is seeking to represent us.
An opinion piece was posted recently in The Miami Student: “Oxford: Meet the right side of politics,” which highlights local Republican candidates from the point of view of an engaged student on the conservative side of the fence. However, these candidates are not working to “serve and protect” the voters of Butler County. They are out for themselves.
To begin with Issue 1, the Citizens Not Politicians state constitutional amendment seeking to ban gerrymandering perpetuated by a Republican supermajority was characterized incorrectly. The amendment seeks to take redistricting out of the hands of politicians who have a vested interest in keeping districts in their favor and holding onto their outsized power.
The 15-member independent commission would consist of five Democrats, five Independents and five Republicans, and is required to be constitutionally fair. This is a task that the current Republican commission has failed at five times in 2022 alone. The Republican rhetoric around this issue is designed to make people feel like they are losing power while a historically large bipartisan coalition is working to give citizens their power back by voting yes on Issue 1.
Next, we have State Senator George Lang. He is characterized as a “Guardian of Small Business,” while at the same time, he will not guard the people that make up or patronize those small businesses. Lang does not support a living minimum wage, and he is not supported by a single union in Butler County. Lang has a goal to “make Ohio the most business-friendly state,” but has no plan to support the people it takes to make that possible. This is in stark contrast to his opponent, Tom Cooke, who has several union endorsements including the Fraternal Order of Police, the United Auto Workers, Ohio Education Association, American Federation of Teachers, and more.
It is also important to note Lang’s divisive behavior, saying at a Vance rally, “I’m afraid if we lose this one, it’s going to take a civil war to save the country.” If you are a sitting state senator threatening civil war, it ought to be disqualifying.
With Congressman Warren Davidson, it is more of the same. Another fiscally responsible business owner who happily took almost $1.4 million in Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans, and yet is against support for recent graduates burdened with debilitating student loan debt. At the end of the day, you can look at his record and hypocrisy, and conclude that the office may be better served by Vanessa Enoch.
On the national stage, we have a chance to keep pro-worker values in Washington by rejecting used-car salesman Bernie Moreno in favor of our Senator Sherrod Brown. Moreno made millions of dollars in car sales, while simultaneously stealing overtime pay from his employees, and then shredding the evidence when he was caught, resulting in him having to pay more than $400,000 to the workers he harmed. When you combine that with the disrespect he has for women who care about the issue of abortion, it becomes clear that we need someone who represents Ohioan integrity. That person is Senator Sherrod Brown.
Speaking of a lack of integrity, we come to the Butler County native candidate for Vice President, JD Vance. Vance has said and done anything he could to gain power and prominence. While he grew up in Middletown, he went to Yale and then became a San Francisco millionaire. When he wrote his book, “Hillbilly Elegy,” he trashed talked the town he was from and then only moved back to Ohio as a carpetbagger to run for U.S. Senate. He is completely disconnected from how people think and feel, it is a shame he has been elevated to such a position.
In a perfect world, both candidates seeking to represent us in office would respect peoples’ rights, trust in science and attempt to play the game fairly. It is wrong to characterize these Republican candidates as close, or even a mile away from the ideal. It is important to vote for who will best represent you, and you can find that person by using your local League of Women Voters voting guide and making your voice heard by Nov 5.
Patrick Houlihan is a senior political science student. He is president of the College Democrats of Ohio and the Miami University College Democrats, and the Northwest Regional Chair of the Butler County Democratic Party.
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