Why I'm voting to send a college professor to Congress
Don Leonard is running as a do-something Democrat in Ohio's 15th Congressional District. He's got my vote as a man for the times.
Don Leonard quit his job on Ohio State’s faculty to launch a first-time political campaign for Congress in Ohio’s 15th District. But first, he’ll have to beat longtime Franklinton County Democratic Party insider (and former State Rep. Adam Miller) for that right.
In the name of ethics, Hilltop Husband already donated an untold amount of my wifely allowance to Leonard’s campaign as we reside in the 15th District, which, thanks to Republican gerrymandering, somehow stretches from German Village (where MAGAfied incumbent Congressman Mike Carey lives) to Miami County in Western Ohio.
If I had been undecided, the decision would have gone Leonard’s way yesterday, when Miller sent a text blast touting his military service in the George W. Bush boondoggle that was Afghanistan, on a day where the military stood on standby to faithfully execute a genocide in Iran before Donald Trump thankfully chickened out.
I would have voted for Miller if he were the only Democrat running, even though he got away with living in the affluent village of Marble Cliff while representing one of the poorest districts in the state, thanks to a ghost apartment in the district.
The stakes are that high.
But Leonard answered the call.
We sat down in March—before his viral arrest at the No Kings Rally in Grove City—in a get-to-know-you interview that covered his desire to run, his views on Leslie Wexner, Israel and why he thinks he can succeed in flipping a Republican gerrymandered district as a first-time candidate.
I found Leonard engaging, funny and the kind of new-look candidate for which Democratic Party primary voters seem hungry as we approach a pivotal primary on May 5, with early voting already open.
You can watch the full video on YouTube.
I will warn that the audio is suboptimal, which was my fault in a poor choice of microphone to deploy, given the acoustics of the room and the apparently vicious head cold that had wrecked my otherwise melodic voice.
Rest assured, Rooster Worldwide LLC fired the intern ultimately responsible for the subpar performance. We apologize to the Leonard campaign and will be more than willing to make it right after his victory in May.
Why does Don Leonard want to run for Congress?
Running for Congress, especially as a first-time candidate, is an act of ego.
But it’s not as glamorous a job as a casual observer might think! Especially if Leonard succeeds in flipping the seat in November. He would, almost assuredly, be a top target for national Republicans in 2028.
But beyond that, it’s a job that requires constant travel, albeit only a 45-minute direct flight from Columbus, but also constant fundraising to prove your worth to party elders.
It’s also an act that is almost assuredly to see your popularity drop in your hometown, even among some ideologically aligned supporters.
It’s no wonder that so many power-hungry jackals roam the halls of Congress.
But Leonard cited specifics on the ramifications of what national and state Republicans have done to higher education in the era of Trump. He also cited his time on Medicaid as a child, which means he knows the types of hardships that primarily rural voters are facing in the wake of yet another cut to social services to pay out to America’s richest citizens and corporations.
I also applaud his ability to laugh and breeze past my obvious joke about referring to Congress as a syndicate of cocaine orgies. It’s a power that some Democrats don’t have, which is the opposite of what we need in the increasingly hogified country that is America.
Leonard probably won’t be working at Ohio State again after he dumped Leslie Wexner’s sorry ass in the Olentangy
I couldn’t resist asking Leonard about his take on Leslie Wexner and Jeffrey Epstein, given The Rooster’s recent reporting on the subject.
But to me, it’s a litmus test for any politician, but especially Ohio Democrats. You would think distancing themselves from a Republican billionaire who financed the construction of Pedophile Island would be the easiest win possible, given the current state of the country.
But as we have seen with Mayor Suburbs, County Commissioner Kevin Boyce, and City Attorney Zach Klein—that’s hardly the case!
Thankfully, Leonard passed the test, which, given he could one day be looking to return to employment at Ohio State, was a moral courage sorely lacking from the ostensible leadership within Central Ohio’s Democratic ranks.
Leonard understands some Democrats act a lot like Republicans
As we have seen with Central Ohio Democrats, apparently ready to hand $50 million in public money to MAGA billionaire crook Jimmy Haslam, malignant financial forces are flowing through the party that stand in the way of improving material conditions for the working class.
Leonard understands the problem and the assignment. And sure, it’s fair to say that talking is the easy part.
But I am someone who observes and sometimes interviews Democrats for a living. Not all of them can even pass the talking part!
If we’re going to climb out of the hole we’ve dug—starting with the bankrupt Citizens United decision—we need Democrats willing to combat consolidated corporate power, even if that power sometimes funnels money to Democrats to play both sides of the fence.
If you, like me, have been carved into the Republican gerrymandered 15th District, I hope you join me in voting for Don Leonard during early voting (open now!) or on the May 5 Election Day.
The Rooster will be posting more clips from Leonard’s interview in the coming days on Instagram, Facebook, YouTube and BlueSky.
In the meantime, here are a few ways to support Don Leonard for Congress:
Visit his official website.
Follow Leonard’s campaign on Instagram, TikTok or Facebook.
Speaker Matt Huffman must be enjoying life!
Speaker Matt Huffman (R-Lima), who has never supplied a solid alibi for where he was on April 19, 1995, attempted to expand iGaming in Ohio through last year’s budget process.
