Meeting Maryellen

It’s not too early to start thinking about the November elections...

As the statewide races heat up, politicians are crisscrossing Ohio, meeting voters and media. On July 19, we had the pleasure of hosting Secretary of State candidate Maryellen O’Shaughnessy for an hour of talking politics, development, ethics and how those concepts are faring in Northwest Ohio.

O’Shaughnessy, a Democrat running against Sen. Jon Husted... O’Shaughnessy may not have the funds Husted is working with, but she has racked up an impressive list of endorsements: Gov. Ted Strickland, the Ohio AFL-CIO, the Ohio Education Association and several others.

O’Shaughnessy, the clerk of Franklin County Court of Common Pleas, has served as a three-time Columbus City Council member and owns a small business, her family’s fourth-generation funeral home.

She is running on a platform that is inclusive and comprehensive, if not trailblazing. She understands how the secretary of state office can impact economic development by making it easier (or more difficult) for businesses to register to do business in Ohio and navigate its resources.

We talked at some length about Lucas County specifics, in broad terms of economic challenges and in specifics about the integrity of the voting process in Lucas County. It is no secret that the Lucas County Board of Elections, local party leaders and affected politicians operate under a dysfunctional cloud that rains everything from questionable influences to charges of outright illegalities.

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O’Shaughnessy was personable, well-informed and energetic as she discussed her goals for the secretary of state office. It may be too early to endorse a candidate or decide which one to vote for, but it is never too soon to start the education process.

Our thanks to O’Shaughnessy for sharing her time and thoughts. We will have further conversations with her, to share with local voters, as the election season approaches.

Read the full article here.