2022 Democratic Candidates
Nan Whaley
Candidate for Governor
"When Nan was first elected Mayor in 2013, Dayton was at a low point. The factories had moved out and the opioids had moved in. But in Dayton, folks don’t run away from their problems. "
"Under her leadership, Dayton has turned a corner. She brought folks together to take on the community’s toughest challenges, including tackling the opioid crisis, cutting overdose deaths by half and saving hundreds of lives. She led the fight to take on a broken education system and provide quality pre-k to every three- and four-year-old in the city."
"Nan knows we can build a better Ohio. An Ohio where one job is enough to provide for your family. An Ohio where your kids have real opportunities. An Ohio where everyone — no matter your zip code — can thrive."
Tim Ryan
Candidate for U.S. Senate
"I’m running to represent Ohio as U.S. Senator because our workers need someone who will fight like hell for them on the Senate floor. Families in communities like mine are working harder than ever, they’re doing everything right, and they still can’t get ahead."
"Tim is fighting to make big investments into our roads and bridges and affordable high-speed internet that will help connect our communities and make it easier to do business in rural Ohio — all while creating good-paying construction jobs for local workers and using American-made materials to do it. Ohio is home to the best workers in the world, and our rural communities have a critical role to play as we bring our supply chain home and revitalize manufacturing."
Samantha Meadows
Candidate for U.S. Representative
"I am running for Congress because our country is at an inflection point. Bluster, bravado, conspiracy theories, and lies have been used by Republican members of Congress to create instability within the United States. Such propaganda has created polarization and divisiveness in our communities. The stage has been set for confrontations rather than conversations, anger over understanding, and violence.
This is not who we are, it must not be who we are."
"Americans are strong people. We care about one another. We fight FOR one another, not AGAINST one another. It is time that we look to all fellow Americans as brothers and sisters. We all want the same things: respect, opportunity, equality, and the right to pursue our dreams."
Jeff Crossman
Candidate for Ohio Attorney General
"I'm Jeff Crossman and I’m running for Ohio Attorney General.
I grew up in Wickliffe Ohio, raised by a single mom. Like most Ohioans, I’ve worked hard my entire life. For my family, nothing was ever given, everything was earned through hard work and dedication.
This grit is what helped me graduate from law school while working full time. It’s why I ran for State Representative. It’s why I worked hard to oust Larry Householder from office when he was busted taking bribes and making working-class Ohioans foot the bill. And it’s why I’m now running for Ohio Attorney General.
Our opponents and the special interests backing them have been stacking the deck against us for years."
Scott Schertzer
Candidate for Treasurer
"You deserve a State Treasurer who will watch over every dollar spent by the state and pinch every penny. You deserve a State Treasurer you can trust will do the job and get the job done right. Please join me in changing Ohio for the better."
Taylor Sappington
Candidate for Ohio Auditor
"I’m Taylor Sappington and I’m running for Ohio Auditor because we need to get back something that has been lost, something really important.
I was lucky. I didn’t grow up in a cynical world where politics was divisive and dismissed. I was raised on hope and hard work. I was taught that public service is the right thing to do."
"This is the something we’ve lost and I’m running for Ohio Auditor to restore and revive the sense of community, the spirit that together we can face any challenge and overcome any obstacle."
"I promise to balance the books, and when necessary, catch the crooks.
We’ve all been paying for the corruption and games of the politicians in this state who forgot their roots, long ago."
"They lost something along the way – and for them it’s gone forever. But we can change all of that. We can take back our state. We can be the leaders that inspire the next generation."
"I’m Taylor Sappington and I’m running to be your State Auditor. Join me."
Chelsea Clark
Candidate for Ohio Secretary of State
"I’m running to be Ohio’s Secretary of State because our democracy is under attack. I will fight to make sure that we all have access to vote, that all votes are counted, and that our elections are safe and secure."
“For years, state leaders have been trying to make it harder to vote. We need a Secretary of State who will champion a Democracy for Ohio Agenda.”
Jennifer Brunner
for Ohio Supreme Court
"Justice begins with each of us. When we seek justice, we must first examine our minds and our hearts. Justice involves lifting up our shared history, hopes and visions for our future, respecting one another amidst our great diversity--and tolerance rooted in love. The result always will be greater than the sum of its parts. One of the greatest joys of public service is when this magic happens."
"As the only candidate in the race who with experience managing a statewide office in Ohio and supervising local government activities in every county of this state, my policy agenda to lead Ohio’s judiciary as Ohio’s next Chief Justice is organized around this philosophy: "Courts belong to the people."
Marilyn Zayas
Candidate for Ohio Supreme Court
"Judge Marilyn Zayas was born in Harlem and grew up in tough New York neighborhoods. Her dad worked in a printing shop, and her mom worked as a seamstress in a garment factory. Judge Zayas overcame numerous childhood obstacles through hard work, dedication, and persistence."
“I am grateful that Ohio voters entrusted me to serve as their Judge. Every day, in every case, I take my responsibility to do justice very seriously, and I am committed to ensuring that justice is administered with integrity, independence, and impartiality.”
Terri Jamison
Candidate for Ohio Supreme Court
"The Court’s power to profoundly impact the lives of Ohioans has too often been overlooked or undervalued."
"I’ve come a long way from the coal mines of West Virginia. After moving to Columbus and operating my own business for 16 years, I decided to pursue my law degree. In my time as a practicing lawyer and then, as Judge in the Franklin County Court of Common Pleas, Domestic Relations Division - Juvenile Branch, I used my experience and background to empower families and increase access to justice. I want to show that our courts serve the public, and don’t answer to any party or those funding election campaigns."
Andrew Dodson
Candidate for Ohio Representative
"First and foremost, I'm running because I'm from Southern Ohio and have practically lived my whole life here. And I'm tired of Southern Ohio getting the short end of the stick."
"It's time to make a change. I want to make some noise in Columbus. I want the General Assembly to take notice of us and finally invest in our community."
Joshua Lawson
Candidate for Scioto County Commissioner
"Like most of our neighbors here in Scioto County, I am a lifelong resident of Appalachia. I hail from a blue-collar, working-class family that taught me the value of faith, community, and hard work."
"My philosophy of political action aligns with John Rawls' theory of social justice, which maintains that the quality of any society is demonstrated first and foremost by how it treats its most vulnerable members. I believe in the power of direct action to catalyze change when the official channels of government fail to keep pace with the needs of a community, and that as Florence Robinson said, 'If the people will lead, eventually the leaders will follow.'"
