Correction Appended: A previous version of this article named Campaign Manager spelled Cody Sigmund. The article is updated to say Cody Sigmon.
Micah McCarey, Athens city councilmember at-large, hosted an official launch party Aug. 22 at The Pigskin, 38 N. Court St., to celebrate his candidacy for representative of Ohio’s 95th District. The theme, ‘back to school,’ was chosen for this party to honor those who work in education.
“Education has always been really important to me,” McCarey said. “My hometown of Oberlin, Ohio, is a small college town with a fierce commitment to education and inclusion, and my life at Ohio University, 15 years of employment and 21 years altogether, has reinforced my value of education.”
A large part of his campaign is to raise awareness about the importance of school funding and increase teacher compensation throughout the 95th District, McCarey said.
“When I was growing up thinking about our society, I thought, shouldn't teachers be the ones who are getting paid among the most?” McCarey said. “Aren't they doing some of the most critical work in terms of shaping young minds, character?”
While McCarey is trying to involve educators in the campaign through his platform, he also involves OU students directly.
Kiandra Martin, a senior studying social criminology and pre-law, is the student senate vice president and is helping McCarey’s campaign through student relations. She said McCarey supported her during the student senate president race last semester, and she was more than excited to be involved with his campaign.
“I'm definitely the biggest outreach to our OU Campus Student Engagement,” Martin said. “I am so, so excited for him, and I'm super glad to see this turnout that we have today.”
Other students involved in his campaign are Lauren Sagers, a junior studying sociology and criminology, formerly the minority affairs for student senate, and Julianna Rittenberg, a senior majoring in political science.
“I think Micah is very much the definition of someone who should be in our government,” Rittenberg said. “He just genuinely cares about the people instead of trying to climb the ladder.”
Driving student involvement is a large aspect of McCarey’s campaign, Deputy Campaign Manager Cody Sigmon said. Although McCarey is going to be representing many people, one population he knows a lot about is college students, Sigmon said.
“We're really hoping to mobilize college students to register to vote in Athens because this is your home most of the time,” Sigmon said
McCarey represents a variety of diverse groups and can bring them together because he listens deeply and cares about individuals, even if they're different from him, Sigmon said.
“I was a gay kid growing up in Appalachia, and having representation in halls of power is really, really important, not only does Micah represent that, but Micah represents, I think, a style of human interaction that is sorely needed in our legislature,” Sigmon said.
Other goals McCarey said he hopes to address with his platform are the five principles of sustainability that emphasize partnerships and prosperity, including creating partnerships with small businesses and helping them attain new resources.
“I've had direct experience, primarily through my work as a city council member, learning about some of the challenges that small businesses face accessing state grants, resources that can help them do anything,” McCarey said.
Staff and students active in McCarey’s campaign seem to have a positive outlook. The campaign is funded overall through donations from individuals and organizations.
McCarey’s campaign recently received $10,000 from Blue Ohio, a democratic organization focusing on having a democratic candidate in each state.
“I’m pleasantly surprised by how ready people are to support,” Sigmon said. “We do not have a lot of runway before the election.”
McCarey said he is also surprised to find the campaign fun, enjoying the challenge of developing campaign strategies and engaging with new people from across the six counties in the 95th District.
“It feels like an experiential learning journey because I'm having to do a lot of research into these communities, their past, their presence, and their hopes for their future,” McCarey said.
