On the eve of the midterm election, local Democrats gathered to make one more push for taking Ohio’s gubernatorial office.
On the eve of the midterm election, local Democrats gathered to make one more push for taking Ohio’s gubernatorial office.
The democratic candidate for Ohio’s lieutenant governor position, Sharen Neuhardt, whose running to hold state office with gubernatorial candidate Democrat Ed FitzGerald, visited the Athens County Democratic Party’s headquarters on Court Street Monday evening.
“For Democrats, Athens is really important,” Neuhardt said.
Neuhardt criticised incumbent Ohio Governor John Kasich for using rhetoric that suggested Ohio is doing better economically, also known as the “Ohio miracle.”
“Ohio is not alright,” she added.
The FitzGerald-Neuhardt campaign chose to invest in on-the-ground campaign runs rather than television advertisements because “spending money on ads would be like throwing a bucket of water on a forest fire,” Neuhardt said.
“This election is all about turnout,” State Rep. Debbie Phillips, D-Albany, said.
Neuhardt also stressed the importance of voter turnout, saying that the Democrats had the votes secured, but that it’s a matter of getting those Democrats out to the polls.
“This is an election where we need to try to elect as many Democrats as we can,” Neuhardt said.
Neuhardt also charged Kasich and his administration’s policies.
She condemned a policy that threatened to cut the funding of rape crisis centers, as some inform patients of the option to abort an unwanted pregnancy. She also denounced statewide cuts to public school funding, and funds turning to funding charter schools that she said were failing.
Neuhardt accused Kasich of talking about college affordability as well — but failing to act on it.
Given that student debt follows people into as late as their fifties, the issue is especially relevant to students in this election, she said, and it’s an issue that students could count on FitzGerald to care about as Ohio governor.
But, Neuhardt said she is “cautiously optimistic” about the midterm election. Regardless of the results, however, she added she feels good because the campaign engaged with voters on the issues.
“It’s looking like a real uphill climb,” Phillips said, regarding the chances for Democrats winning statewide.
In terms of priorities at the statehouse, Phillips said improving access to jobs and addressing the “skills gap” should be at the top of the list.
Ohio has high unemployment, she said, but businesses that are looking for workers with the skills they require. Other priorities she listed included addressing the opiate addiction epidemic in Ohio and restoring funding to local government.
“The power is absolutely in the hands of the people in the state of Ohio,” Phillips said.
nj342914@ohio.edu
@xx14noraxx
