LEGISLATURE
She is spearheading the effort, calling it Ohio Women Lead.
“The goal is to amplify our voice, maximize our network and increase our capacity to reach as many voters as possible.”
In addition to Boggs, the collaboration involves Democratic House nominees Mary Lightbody (19th District), Beth Liston (21st), Allison Russo (24th) and Erica Crawley (26th), plus Senate nominee Louise Valentine (19th).
Democrats nationally have been calling this “the year of the woman” in politics, and in Ohio, 44 of 99 Democratic nominees for the House are women, as are seven of the party’s 17 Senate nominees.
Boggs said she thinks
people don’t realize that although women are more than half of Ohio’s population, they make up only 22 percent of the General Assembly. Among Democratic legislators, 38 percent are women; among Republicans, it’s 15 percent.
That matters, Boggs said, when legislators are debating issues such as school safety, education and health.
Frustration with the direction of government is motivating more women to run, she said.
“In prior elections, women may have been less likely to talk on the campaign trail about what it’s like to be a mom and balance family and work,” Boggs said. “With these candidates, our families have been such a motivating factor about why they’ve gotten into the election. They are actively talking about it, using it to connect with other women who are
just as frustrated with the state of affairs.”
The six women in Franklin County produced a video that has been released online, including on a new website, OhioWomenLead. com. They will appear together on a Downtown billboard, plan a women’s roundtable discussion in October, and hold a getout-the-vote march in late October.
Valentine, a Westerville resident running against Rep. Andrew Brenner, R-Powell, for a Senate seat that includes part of northern Columbus, plus Delaware and Knox counties, said the collaboration will resonate with female voters and give them a reason to check out the candidates.
“It’s so inspiring and so energizing to have this group of women so we can lean on each other and work for and with each other, and swap stories about the misogynistic things we’re hearing at the doors or whatever,” Valentine said.
Doug Preisse, chairman of the Franklin County Republican Party, called the move by the Democratic women a “clever campaign tactic,” but he said that ultimately voters in each district will choose between the two parties’ nominees, and he is pleased with the quality of his team.
“We, too, are very proud of the tradition in Franklin County of successful Republican women in leadership,” Preisse said, pointing to Jo Ann Davidson, the first female House speaker, and Jennette Bradley, a former lieutenant governor and state treasurer. Republicans also have three female legislators in Franklin County: Reps. Laura Lanese and Anne Gonzales and Sen. Stephanie Kunze.
Lightbody, who is running against Republican Tim
“In my opinion, gig work is more stable than traditional notions of freelance work,” said Steve Cady, an associate
Barhorst in a district that includes Gahanna, New Albany and Westerville, praised Boggs’ enthusiasm in putting the group together.
“It is an important message for us to carry,” Lightbody said. “That gives us an opportunity to put ourselves out there as a team so that almost no matter where you live in the Franklin County media market, you know there is a candidate who is a woman, a mother, who is going to represent families first.”
In addition to getting the women elected, Boggs said, a goal is to “show other women that if you step up and run for office, we’ll be here to support you.”
“None of these women are running as a stepping stone to something else or to feed their egos.”