Five Ohio House campaigns worthy of your money
Kamala Harris and Sherrod Brown are loaded with cash. Your dollar stretches much further in state legislature races.
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In a perfect country, private citizens wouldn’t need to donate hard-earned money to political campaigns for the prospect of good governance.
When America finally has the sense to elect me as Supreme Leader, I will solve that problem by enacting public financing of local, state and federal campaigns.
Until then, we’ll play the cards we’re dealt. As you might have noticed, early voting has begun as we’ve entered the final weeks of election season.
It’s understandable if you’re sick of the advertisements or the fundraising emails written in the cadence of a scammer or a candidate trapped in the bottom of a well.
However, the importance of state politics is a main thrust of The Rooster. Your donation will stretch much, much further. And in Ohio, you can write off the first $50 for single tax filers or $100 for joint filers:
Ohio law allows a state income tax credit for monetary contributions made to the campaign committee of a candidate for statewide office or member of the General Assembly up to an annual limit of $50 for single filers and $100 for joint filers.
I don’t know about you, but I’d rather my free $50 donation went to cash-strapped Ohio House candidates than the construction of religious schools, as our state’s most recent capital budget ordained.
That said, I’ve selected five Ohio House candidates (two of whom are running as incumbents) who have earned my admiration and respect.
If you don’t have the money to donate, don’t fret. You can still help by following these candidates on your favorite social media platforms and boosting them with your friends.
It’s technically, maybe, hypothetically, possible that the Democrats can break the Republican supermajority in the lower legislative chamber this cycle.
That would be no small thing if the results break our way. And here are five of my favorite candidates working to make that happen.
Mark Sigrist — Ohio House 10th District
[Donate to Mark Sigrist]
I recently moved 3.7 miles down the road into the house of Hilltop Husband. Thanks to the gerrymandered legislature of the State Legislature, I went from being represented by two Democrats to two Republicans despite Joe Biden winning my new zip code by 9.6 percentage points in 2020.
Thankfully, the Ohio House 10th District, set to be vacated by the Hilltop Hustler, State Rep. Dave Dobos, is perhaps the most flippable district of the cycle.
I like Sigrist because he’s a winner who knows how to campaign. He won a bitterly albeit amicably contested primary by roughly 20 votes. He has deep roots in Grove City, a suburb of Columbus that gets friendlier to Democrats every day.
This seat was initially drawn for a Republican, however. One Democratic source relayed that turnout on the west side of Columbus will be crucial to getting Sigrist over the finish line.
I’m going to do what I can to make sure that happens.
Krista Allison — Ohio House 49th District
[Donate to Krista Allison]
Two Statehouse Republicans, completely unsolicited, informed The Rooster that State Rep. Jim Thomas (R-Jackson) was sweating voter registration efforts in Canton’s Black neighborhoods.
That was music to my ears! I’ve never had a problem with Rep. Thomas, but he was one of the Republicans who was willing to inflict State Rep. Derek Merrin (R-Monclova Twp), one of the most fetid freaks in Statehouse circles, as the Speaker of the House.
It’s hard to overstate what a disaster that would have been. And it would be hilariously fitting if Jackson lost due to an energized Black turnout because he probably never thought he’d have to face a competitive General Election when he originally won his seat.
Ms. Allison is running a helluva campaign! And she could use your support.
Rep. Rachel Baker — Ohio House 27th District
[Donate to Rep. Rachel Baker]
Rep. Baker (D-Cincinnati) is one of the favorite members of the House and probably one of the most educated. That she’s running for another term after having to listen to the likes of Rep. Gary Click (R-Vickery) and other religious kooks on a regular basis is a testament to her tenacity and character.
Her district leans Democratic, but her victory is not assured like most incumbent Democrats. And what’s funny about House races is that Democrats have to run somebody very respectable in these types of purple-ish districts, but the Republicans will always find a stone-cold freak.
I won’t even name her opponent because he hasn’t earned it. Just know that the Ohio House will be a better place with Rep. Baker walking the halls.
Crystal Lett — Ohio House 11th District
[Donate to Crystal Lett]
Crystal Lett faces a unique challenge in her opponent, State Senator Stephanie Kunze (R-Hilliard), who defeated Lett by fewer than 1,000 votes in one of the most bitterly contested elections of the 2020 cycle.
Kunze’s old Senate district is a lost cause for the Republicans, so she’s running for the Ohio House against Lett.
What sucks is that, with the current reshuffling of redistricting, many voters have assumed that Lett is running against State Rep. Anita Somani (D-Dublin), the incumbent of the 11th House District.
That’s not the case, as Rep. Somani has been drawn into the new Ohio House 8th District, a safe Democratic seat.
As for Lett, I couldn’t imagine the pain of losing a Senate race by fewer than 1,000 votes. She deserves all the praise in the world for licking her wounds and getting back into the arena.
Kunze will undoubtedly peddle herself as “a moderate.” I hope the district’s voters don’t fall for that ruse. Kunze was in lockstep with every hobgoblin idea pushed by Senate President Matt Huffman (R-Lima), who, in my opinion, is a domestic terrorist.
We do not need another Huffman stooge in the House. Vote Lett!
Rep. Munira Abdullahi — Ohio House 9th District
[Donate to Rep. Abdullahi]
Full disclosure: Unlike the other four listed names, Rep. Abdullahi’s re-election is all but assured.
However, Rep. Abdullahi has earned a spot on this list due to her vocal support of the Palestinian cause and its people. It probably feels like a lonely place to be, which makes her courage on the issue all that more admirable.
Beyond that, Abdullahi is a relentless advocate and campaigner. Last week, I saw her at the contentious Westerville School Board meeting and a rally for the Ohio Students Association outside the Columbus Convention Center.
She is young, ambitious and charismatic—a combination that the Ohio Democratic Party could use more of.
The streets are saying the Boss Baby ain’t got the juice!?
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