Republican primary set for 61st District state rep seat

With incumbent Ron Young, R-Leroy Township, term limited, there will be a new 61st District state representative come 2019.

Two Republicans vying to fill that seat will meet in the May 8 Primary Election. Former state representative Jamie Callender is squaring off against Willoughby Hills City Councilman John Plecnik. The winning candidate will advance to the November General Election.

On the Democratic side, Perry Village Councilman Rick Walker is a write-in candidate.

The 61st district consists of Kirtland, Kirtland Hills, Mentor Wards 1-3, North Perry Village, Perry Village, Waite Hill, Willoughby Hills, the townships of Concord, Leroy, Madison, Perry and parts of Painesville Township.

State representatives are elected for two-year terms and make an annual salary of $60,584.

Callender

Callender is an attorney at Callender Law Group and a professor at Kent State University. He previously served as a state representative from 1996-2004.

One of his focuses is education. Our education funding system is still broken after all these years, he said. And yet, our educational system is what is going to create our future.

Another of his focuses is jobs.

“Tied to education and tax policy, we need to create an environment that encourages our current employers to want to expand here in Ohio, and also to lure out of state (and out of country) business to expand into Northeast Ohio,” he said.

He also wants to shrink the government. He said he’s never heard anyone say “we should enlarge and further empower our government” and yet that’s what politicians keep doing.

“Whether it’s fostering needless litigation, overstepping legislative authority, or simply making a power grab to propel oneself to a higher office — I will put an end to it,” he said. “I think it’s time we actually force our politicians to shrink government,

Former state representative Jamie Callender is squaring off against Willoughby Hills City Councilman John Plecnik.

rather than simply saying they will.”

Callender said he has the experience and background to “bring Lake County values to Columbus.”

“Having served four terms in the legislature many years ago, I have watched our institutions decline in their responsiveness and true representative capacity over the years,” he said. “I am at a point in my life where I am not trying to office hop or pad my resume, and I am independent. This status affords me the luxury of having no other agenda than representing Lake County.”

Plecnik

Plecnik has been a city councilman at-large in Willoughby Hills since 2014. He is currently serving as vice president of council. He is also an associate professor of law at Cleveland State University.

One of his focuses, if elected, would be jobs and economic development. He said we need to create more good-paying jobs and opportunities in Lake County. To do so, he said, we need to attract investment and provide the right education and training for the workforce. He said he is committed to creating tax incentives and eliminating unnecessary regulations to make the region and state more competitive for economic development.

Another focus is lower

taxes and fiscal responsibility. He said he is proud to be a tax professor who cuts taxes and said he pledges to review the state budget line-by-line for tax savings.

“But every registered Republican running for office says they’re conservative and fiscally responsible,” he said. “I say, actions speak louder than words. My record as your library trustee and councilman proves that I will fight for fiscal responsibility and budget your tax dollars with the utmost respect.”

He said he also wants to stop the “revolving door” of lobbyists and make it more difficult for them to run for office and for lawmakers to move quickly into lobbying.

“Just because one lower court ruled one statute restricting lobbyists was unconstitutional is no excuse to give up,” he said. “We need to work together to find a solution. We need to send more people to Columbus who have real jobs and real lives.”

Plecnik said it is often hard to do the right thing in politics and even harder when your job depends on doing the opposite.

“We don’t need another career politician or lobbyist in Columbus, and I am proud to be a part-time public servant,” he said. “If elected, I promise to bring my expertise as a teacher and tax professor to the table.”