Riedel, Wobler race for 82nd House District
Vying for a third term as the representative of the 82nd House District of Ohio, Republican Craig Riedel is being challenged by write-in candidate Elecia Wobler in November’s General Election.
Residents of St.
Marys, Wapakoneta, Logan Township, Moulton Township, Noble Township, Salem Township and Buckland Township are located in the 82nd District.
Formerly a civil engineer, Riedel has
served as the representative for the 82nd house district since 2015.
In the 2018 election, Riedel sought re-election when he was challenged by Democrat Aden Wyatt Baker. That election race for the 82nd district had Riedel winning every county in the district: Auglaize, Defiance, Paulding and Van Wert with an average percent difference of 47.64%.
After spending 27 years working as an engineer, Riedel says he wants to bring his experience to Columbus and bring jobs back to Ohio.
He wants to focus on government overreach, lower taxes and create incentives for companies to come to Ohio. His website also claims he will work to cut spending and taxes for residents.
He believes common core has failed students and those who know what’s best are the schools, not the government.
Riedel wants to protect conservative values and protect religious freedom and is a staunch supporter of the second amendment.
Representative Riedel grew up on a farm just outside the small town of Attica and graduated from Seneca East High School.
After earning a civil engineering degree from the Ohio State University, he enjoyed a 27-year long career with Nucor Vulcraft Group.
He retired in June of 2015 to follow his passion for public service and represent his friends and fellow citizens in northwestern Ohio.
Challenging Riedel is Wobler, who is an Antwerp native.
Graduating from Antwerp Local School in 2001, Wobler began her career as a dental assistant at a local dental office.
She is currently the office coordinator at Westwood Family Dental in Van Wert. Before her position at Westwood, Wobler performed as a Certified Ohio Dental Assistant and EFDA for 12 years and has owned her own business, Keepsake Beads by EAW since 2012, after losing her mother unexpectedly.
Wobler is a member of the ADAA, VFW and
Eagles and is a member of the Antwerp United Methodist Church.
Since running for the Wayne Trace School Board of Education last fall, education has always been a top priority for Wobler and her family and is the main issue she says she intends to fight for in her campaign.
“Providing a world-class education in every zip code in our district and making all rural communities able to have internet that is accessible, as well as functional,” she said. “With the pandemic that has affected our country, it is very important to have this access for learning purposes for our youth and their families. One of my main focuses, if elected as your new Ohio State Representative for the 82nd District, would be to make sure that our federal and local governments are supporting high-quality K-12 schools across America and making higher education affordable and accessible.”
Another issue Wobler is focused on is raising wages and promoting worker’s rights.
“Being in the medical field myself, I have been on the front lines during this pandemic,” she stated. “With this knowledge, essential workers and their families should be compensated for their heroism.
“Unfortunately, so many Americans have been placed on unemployment during this pandemic, but compensating the unemployed more than our front line workers is unjust. This is an issue that has been very hard to withstand in our country. With this being said, it is very important to have the right voice in Columbus to make this happen.”
Wobler is a supporter of the Second Amendment and fully believes that Americans have the right to bare arms, but also believe that they should be placed in the right hands.
She is also a firm believer in the freedom of religion.
Wobler is a member of a Gold Star family as her brother-in-law gave his life in the line of duty. She also supports the nation’s troops and is a supporter of law enforcement with her grandfather serving as police chief in Antwerp for many years.