Nestled among brightly colored signs promoting state and local candidates, a cardboard clipping of President Donald Trump and his wife Melania stared down Chester Court at the Great Geauga County Fair last weekend.
Nestled among brightly colored signs promoting state and local candidates, a cardboard clipping of President Donald Trump and his wife Melania stared down Chester Court at the Great Geauga County Fair last weekend.
Passing fairgoers dared each other to take a selfie with the couple, who posed coolly in front of the Republican Party tent.
A short walk down the hill, in a tent made rough by its proximity to regular pig races and a busy toilet, the Democrats drew a crowd with a megaphone, stickers, and a pair of award-winning sheep.
Although their attitudes varied, political leaders from both parties admitted that they have more in common than voters often think.
United States Congressman Dave Joyce (OH-14) faces a challenge from Russell Township attorney and Democrat Betsy Rader.
The race has gained national attention. In the Democratic Party tent, Rader gave enthusiastic answers to questions from a Florida-based correspondent for Politico magazine.
Rader made campaign finance reform a cornerstone of her run for Congress, saying a large portion of the contributions to her campaign were individual donations from Ohio voters in the small dollars. Their campaign has also been targetedly collected from online groups supporting a list of Democrats across the country.
“I don’t know how we got on the list, but it’s great,” said Rader.
Joyce pointed out that while campaigns hit the headlines, the day-to-day running of the Washington, DC government is still going on
“The problem is, the national news makes it seem like we’re against them. I think there really is a lot more bipartisanism and people working together than you would think … if you weren’t in Washington. “
Joyce mentioned Senator John McCain’s funeral on Saturday as an example of the bipartisan spirit he says still prevails in Congress.
“This country was not built on democratic rule, republican rule,” he said. “It was built on a bipartisan bills agreement to move the country forward.”
Joyce is particularly proud of his work in reclaiming funds for the preservation of his Great Lakes Restoration Initiative, which was incorporated into law in 2016 but whose funding has been questioned by the Trump administration.
He has worked to connect Ohio State University scientists studying algal blooms on Lake Erie in the Toledo area with scientists working to combat the same phenomenon in South Florida.
Rader gave him credit for recovering funds, but was quick to improve his overall environmental footprint.
“He’s voting against the environment all the time,” she said. “He has a 7 percent lifetime rating from the League of Conservation Voters.”
State race
Democrat Rich Cordray, who is running for governor against Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine, said environmental issues are important to voters across the state, but particularly in Geauga County.
“This is a really green county. People want to keep their way of life, ”he said.
Cordray also said that while his tenure as attorney general in Ohio, his office prosecuted people who deliberately polluted the environment, but Ohio looked back on the environment.
DeWine, who attended the show on Monday, said his report, stemming from his role as a U.S. Senator, shows that he has long been a supporter of environmental initiatives, particularly those related to the Great Lakes.
His office, he said, responded aggressively to an attempt by the US Army Corps of Engineers to divert toxic sediment from the Cuyahoga River into Lake Erie.
DeWine also commended the Great Geauga County Fair for its agricultural environment.
While Ohio has over 11 million residents, he said it was important to come to events like fairs, parades, and picnics because voters can raise their concerns in a casual, chatty environment.
That sentiment was endorsed by Rob Richardson, the Democratic nominee for Ohio Treasurer. Despite being from the Cincinnati area, he traveled to Geauga County to meet with voters.
“There are people everywhere on both sides of the aisle and we want to engage them, talk to them,” he said. “You have to show up, you have to talk to people, you have to get involved, they have to know what your ideas are.”
Richardson said a big mistake Democrats made in the 2016 presidential election was not to visit all areas of the state.
Local races
In November, three are fighting for a vacancy on the board of the Geauga County Commissioners.
The Ohio Libertarian Party regained access to ballot papers following the adoption of new rules in 2014, and leads a number of candidates across the state, including Candace Loyd, a Munson Township-based and former researcher at Case Western Reserve University.
According to Loyd, voters are more interested in candidates than the parties they represent.
“I hear that people are fed up with both parties,” said Loyd from the libertarian party tent. “People are really interested in hearing what a third party might bring to the table.”
Loyd plans to play a role in the county government, including lowering the county portion of what she calls “excessive” property tax and cutting the county budget. Loyd also wants to campaign for greater compliance with OhioCheckbook.com – a government transparency website that tells taxpayers exactly how their money is being spent – to prevent the kind of embezzlement that hit IT last year. Department of the district has taken place.
Anita Blue Marlowe, who is running as a Democrat, also believes the county must work harder to fight corruption. However, she expressed concern about the cuts already made by the commissioners, particularly the cuts that led to the closure of the district home last month.
“As a retired nurse, I’m very interested in helping women, children, families and retirees,” she said.
Republican Jim Dvorak spoke in a similar chorus, saying the elections are not about politics, but about people.
“I don’t want to reinvent the wheel, I just want it to run more smoothly,” he said.
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