Incumbent faces primary challenger in 25th District Ohio Senate race

Incumbent 25th District state Sen. Kenny Yuko is facing a primary challenger in his bid for reelection.

In the May 8 Primary Election, Yuko, the senate minority leader, will face off against current 12th District State Rep. John E. Barnes Jr. The winner moves on to the November primary election.

Wickliffe resident Bob Murphy is running unopposed on the Republican side.

The 25th District includes Eastlake, Fairport Harbor, Grand River, Lakeline, Mentor Ward 4, Mentor-on-the-Lake, Painesville, parts of Painesville Township, Timberlake, Wickliffe, Willoughby and Willowick in Lake County. It also includes Richmond Heights, South Euclid, Mayfield Heights, Pepper Pike and Beachwood among other eastern Cuyahoga County communities.

State senators make $60,584 annually during their four-year term.

Barnes

Barnes, 59, a Cleveland resident, has been the 12th District representative since 2011. He previously served two terms in the same seat from 1999-2002.

He said he wants to work for more investment in education that will close the achievement gap for underperforming “at risk” students. He wants more investment in early childhood education. He wants to advocate for career technical and vocational education to reduce dropout rates and he wants to make the state’s public universities more affordable.

In terms of economic development, Barnes said he wants to develop antipredatory lending law to stop “unscrupulous and abusive lenders.” He also wants to create entrepreneurial incubators and work for the development of untapped community market assets. He wants more small-business collaborations with major Ohio corporations and to promote investment attraction, which will promote job creation and opportunity.

On health care, Barnes wants to sustain Medicaid expansion and achieve accessible and affordable health care for all Ohio citizens. He wants to eradicate lead poisoning in housing and modernize the state’s data collection systems to advance research and analytics for disease cures.

“Many people are disaffected and uninvolved in the political process because political deadlock leaves them feeling frustrated with both sides, having seen no progress in their individual lives,” Barnes said. “Our community is in an urgent situation; people are suffering. We need a senator with the drive and endurance to do the work of the office.”

Yuko

Yuko, 67, of Richmond Heights, is finishing up his first term in the state senate, which began in 2015. He took over as the minority leader last year after Joe Schiavoni stepped down from the role in order to focus on his gubernatorial run. Yuko previously served as the 7th district state representative from 2005 to 2012.

One of Yuko’s top priorities in his bid for re-election is protecting seniors. He said he wants to be a voice for the seniors and make sure they have the highest quality of life, by fighting for their access to quality health care, and ensuring they have access to transportation systems so they can get to doctors’ appointments. He also wants to make sure agencies have the necessary tools and funding to provide assistance. He wants to close loopholes to protect seniors from those who might be trying to take advantage of them.

Yuko spent 30 years as a union organizer and said he will continue to fight for workers to earn decent wages to support their families, for employers to provide fair and affordable health care coverage and protection for workers against discrimination on the job. He said he will also continue to support efforts for increased job training resources and retraining options for working looking to adapt to the changing job market.

He also wants to ensure children have a fair shot at a quality education. Teachers should have the tools and resources to teach effectively and be paid appropriately for their part in shaping and inspiring our future generations, he said. Teachers and students should feel safe at school so they can learn and grow, he said, adding he stands with his colleagues in supporting common-sense gun safety laws.

“My colleagues in the Senate Democratic Caucus elected me as minority leader because I work hard and I know how to fight for people, whether it’s by pushing to pass redistricting reform to end gerrymandering, passing casino legislation to spur economic development and job growth in our state, or passing our state’s medical marijuana program to help bring relief to people who are suffering day in and day out,” Yuko said.