3 vying for 55th Ohio House District seat

A political newcomer and a write-in candidate hope to unseat an incumbent lawmaker representing the 55th District in the Ohio House of Representatives.

Rep. Gayle Manning, RNorth Ridgeville, is running for her second term in the Ohio House.

She faces Democrat Zach Stepp of Avon Lake. Dale Stein of Avon Lake, an independent, is running as a write-in candidate.

The candidates hope to represent the district, which includes Avon Lake, Sheffield Village, the west side of North Ridgeville, Elyria, Carlisle Township and Grafton Village.

In the 2020 election season, Manning and Stepp both described their approaches to economic development and education.

Both mentioned in their Morning Journal questionnaires the political influence of “dark money” and campaign contributors, in light of the arrest of Ohio House Speaker Larry Householder, who faces federal charges related to Ohio’s House Bill 6 nuclear bailout bill.

Stein wrote in his questionnaire that his philosophy of governing would emphasize maximum individual freedom under the law.

The candidates are:

Gayle Manning

Gayle Manning, 70, of North Ridgeville is seeking her second term in the Ohio House.

A retired teacher, Manning served on North Ridgeville City Council and was state senator for the 13th Senate District, representing Lorain and Huron counties.

Manning’s late husband, Jeff, served as a state representative and Lorain County prosecutor.

She has two children, Nathan and Allison; Nathan is currently serving as state senator for the 13th Senate District.

If she returns to Columbus, Manning wrote she will focus on schools, improving the economy and job opportunities, and making “impactful changes in our campaign finance laws in response to the shocking abuse of public trust that recently came to light in our state.

“In fact, I am already working with my colleagues in Columbus to make these ideas a reality,” she wrote.

Manning indicated she has co-sponsored a bill that revamps Ohio’s school funding process to make it more efficient and responsive to the needs of each district.

Ohio lawmakers must build the foundation for the post-novel coronavirus pandemic economy, she wrote.

Manning said she has cosponsored bipartisan bills that will establish a temporary tax amnesty program to give Ohio workers some breathing room in light of the pandemic and will help develop industry-recognized credential and certificate programs to give Ohio workers a leg-up in the job market.

When news broke about “the despicable corruption” of Householder, Manning said she sponsored two bills that increase donation transparency, expand reporting requirements and make it so that any public official convicted of extortion, bribery or other federal offenses forfeits their state retirement and benefits privileges.

“By taking the lead on this, I intend to send the strongest message possible to those who do not want to play by the rules — especially when it comes to something as sacred as our democracy — that the days of loopholes and contribution shell games are over,” Manning wrote.

On Election Day, Manning said voters should consider her record of trust and leadership.

“While both alone are necessary for success, neither is enough to get the job done without the other,” Manning wrote. “Speaking directly to those I represent, above all else, my role as an elected official has been, is now, and, should you put your continuing faith in me, always will be to wake up every single day and earn your trust to represent you and your families in Columbus, to voice your concerns to other officials, and to relentlessly fight for those things that are near and dear to you.”

Zach Stepp

Zach Stepp, 25, is making his first run for elected office.

A native of Sheffield Village, Stepp earned his bachelor’s degree from the University of Chicago.

He works as a government and public sector consultant for Ernst & Young.

Stepp wrote he wants to be part of a “Lorain County Comeback” with state legislators helping businesses retain workers and bring young people back to Ohio.

He cited a Congressional Joint Economic Committee report from last year that ranked Ohio sixth highest in America at losing its best skilled young residents.

“That’s unacceptable, and it’s time to turn it around,” Stepp wrote. “Why? Because a lack of a sustainable workforce doesn’t just cripple prospects for landing new employers, it makes it harder for small businesses to grow when they struggle to find or retain workers with the requisite skills.

“Retaining our workforce will lead the way for a Lorain County comeback by expanding the tax base, pouring more funds into strengthening public schools, focusing investments on revitalizing our infrastructure and enhancing the livability of our towns and cities.”

State lawmakers have given taxpayer money “to corrupt for-profit charter schools and wasted even more due to bureaucratic corruption and fraud,” Stepp wrote.

“We have a moral obligation to fund the best education possible for all our children — rural, urban, and suburban,” he said.

For campaign contributions, Stepp said he would support lowering the limit from more than $13,000 to

$1,000.

“Many Ohioans I talk to are unaware of how much unaccountable money is in our system and how the mega-rich can control politicians,” he wrote. “Alongside redistricting reform for fair political districts, campaign finance reform has been a priority for my campaign, and I believe we need our leaders in Columbus to aggressively root out corruption in the halls of the Statehouse.”

On Election Day, Stepp said voters should consider his local roots, hard work, education and commitment to the community.

After graduating college, “the choice was easy: I moved home to Lorain County while working as a data strategy consultant for clients in the federal government, and I commit

ted myself to making the community that raised me a better place for all of us,” Stepp said.

“Today, I am running for the Ohio House because the 55th district deserves an independent, energetic voice that will take on the special interests and put our needs first — starting with putting our friends and neighbors back to work, fighting to keep the next generation here at home and lowering the costs of medicine and health care,” he said.