FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
June 29, 2020
Contact: Neil Bhaerman, OFT Communications Director
412-266-4899, nbhaerman@oft-aft.org
Ohio Federation of Teachers Announces Endorsements for the Ohio General Assembly and Ohio Supreme Court
Today, the Ohio Federation of Teachers announced state level endorsements for the 2020 general election in Ohio, including 58 endorsements for the Ohio House, 13 endorsements for the Ohio Senate, and two endorsements for the Ohio Supreme Court.
“The current General Assembly and Ohio Supreme Court has shown us what it looks like when state policy is made without sufficient input from teachers and supporters of public education and workers’ rights. We end up freezing funding for public schools, diverting more public funds to unaccountable private schools, and putting anti-government ideology ahead of pragmatic public health solutions,” said OFT President Melissa Cropper.
“We’ve endorsed incumbents from both parties, like Representatives Jessica Miranda (HD-28), Phil Robinson (HD-6), Mary Lightbody (HD-19), and Gayle Manning (HD-55) and challengers, like Betsy Rader (SD-18), Tom Jackson (SD-24) and Alexis Miller (HD-89) who will fight to make sure that every Ohio student, no matter where they live or what they look like, can receive a quality public school education in their community,” continued Cropper. “We’ve also endorsed candidates to the Ohio Supreme Court, like Jennifer Brunner, who will protect our rights, including our rights for a fair election and constitutionally-funded public schools, and will not place profits over people when deciding a case.”
The endorsement decisions were made based on the candidates’ experience and the results of OFT’s 2020 Candidate Questionnaire. For candidates who have previously served in the General Assembly, their voting records were taken into consideration. Key votes that were considered included votes on the failed system of Academic Distress Commissions, weakening teacher licensing standards, and the disastrous expansion of the state's private school voucher program which has been busting school district budgets across the state. OFT also looked at the candidates’ other experience and actions they have taken that either supported or harmed public education, higher education, children's services, and healthcare access in Ohio.
OFT’s candidate survey asked about positions on workers rights, including collective bargaining and protection from discrimination; education policy, including a fair and equitable school funding formula, private school voucher deducations, and charter school accountability; higher education; retirement security; and children’s services. The survey was sent to every General Assembly candidate through the House and Senate party caucuses, however many candidates chose not to return the survey. OFT received responses from 82 Democratic candidates, but only three from their Republican counterparts.
The endorsements were formally approved by OFT’s Executive Committee earlier this month.
“We need elected officials who will listen to and support educators, school support staff, children’s services workers, and other essential public employees, so that we have the resources we need to do our jobs, educate Ohio students, and improve our communities” said Peggy Giuliano, an OFT Executive Committee member and President of Newton Falls Classroom Teachers Association, Local 4864.
Ohio House of Representatives
HD-01 Alison Theiss
HD-06 Phil Robinson
HD-07 Joan Sweeny
HD-08 Kent Smith
HD-11 Stephanie Howse
HD-13 Mike Skindell
HD-14 Bride Sweeney
HD-15 Jeffrey Crossman
HD-16 Monique Smith
HD-17 Adam Miller
HD-18 Kristin Boggs
HD-19 Mary Lightbody
HD-20 Rich Brown
HD-21 Beth Liston
HD-22 David Leland
HD-23 Nancy Day-Achauer
HD-24 Allison Russo
HD-25 Dontavius Jarrells
HD-26 Erica Crawley
HD-27 Sara Bitter
HD-28 Jessica Miranda
HD-31 Brigid Kelly
HD-32 Cathy Ingram
HD-34 Emilia Sykes
HD-36 Matthew Shaunghessy
HD-37 Casey Weinstein
HD-39 Willis Blackshear
HD-40 Leronda Jackson
HD-41 Cate Berger
HD-43 Amy Cox
HD-44 Paula Hicks-Hudson
HD-45 Lisa Sobecki
HD-46 Michael Sheehy
HD-47 Nancy Larson
HD-53 Michelle Novak
HD-54 Morgan Showen
HD-55 Gayle Manning
HD-56 Joe Miller
HD-57 Dara Adkison
HD-58 Michelle Lepore-Hagan
HD-59 Chris Stanley
HD-61 Adam Dudziak
HD-62 Erin Rosiello
HD-64 Michael O’Brien
HD-65 Alan Darnowsky
HD-67 Rachael Morocco
HD-69 Donna Beyheydt
HD-73 Kim McCarthy
HD-75 Randi Clites
HD-76 Garrett Westhoven
HD-78 Charlotte Owens
HD-79 Cynthia Richards
HD-80 Ted Jones
HD-88 Chris Liebold
HD-89 Alexis Miller
HD-92 Beth Workman
HD-95 Don Jones
HD-99 Richard Dana
Ohio Senate
SD-02 Joel O’Dorisio
SD-04 Kathy Wyenandt
SD-06 Mark Fogel
SD-08 Louis Blessing
SD-10 Charles Ballard
SD-14 Ryan Ottney
SD-16 Crystal Lett
SD-18 Betsy Rader
SD-24 Tom Jackson
SD-26 Craig Swartz
SD-28 Vernon Sykes
SD-30 Michael Fletcher
SD-32 Sean O’Brien
Ohio Supreme Court
Jennifer Brunner
John O’Donnell
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The Ohio Federation of Teachers (OFT) is comprised of more than 50 local unions representing 20,000 members who are active and retired public school teachers, charter school teachers, school support staff, higher education faculty and staff, and public employees. OFT works to advance quality education and a voice in the workplace for Ohio’s education professionals. OFT is affiliated with the 1.7 member American Federation of Teachers