Paul Bieniek
pbb001@marietta.edu
On Sept. 30, Marietta College students, staff and citizens from all over southeast Ohio spent their night packed in the balmy and bright Alma McDonough Auditorium. For two and a half hours, they heard local politicians trade vocal jabs while trying to explain their policy stances. The debates were set up by the League of Women Voters, a national organization that seeks to engage citizens in the political process.
The most anticipated contest of the night was for Ohio’s 6th Congressional District seat. Incumbent Republican Congressman Bill Johnson faced off against Democratic challenger Jennifer Garrison and Dennis Lambert of the Green Party.
The candidates were initially asked how they would work to bring back compromise to Washington. Johnson claimed he had already been working toward this goal in his first term, becoming a member of the “No Labels” bipartisan congressional group. Garrison retorted in saying that Johnson voted with his party 97% of the time, whereas she had often reached across party lines during her time as a representative in the Ohio House. Lambert insisted that as a member of a third party, he would have to work with everyone to accomplish his goals.
Later the candidates were asked about their views on environmental policy. Lambert said he would advocate for alternative energy. Johnson countered that environmental policies needed to be “based on science, not political rhetoric.” Garrison asserted that she supports an “all of the above” energy strategy that combines fossil fuel and renewable energy resources.
The issue of underemployment in southeast Ohio was subsequently addressed. Johnson said that overregulation and burdensome taxes were the main factors inhibiting employment opportunities. He added that he had voted to bring $48 million to SE Ohio for workforce development purposes. In response Garrison chided Johnson for not being able to foster a deal to keep the Ormet plant in Hannibal, OH open. Lambert maintained that the nation as a whole should put people to work to fix the nation’s declining infrastructure.
In an interview before the debate, Garrison emphasized that she is “a moderate, independent voice that will want to work with both sides of the aisle”. She added that “contrary to what Congressman Johnson tells the public, he is an extremist in his party and is part of the dysfunction. I really believe it’s time for someone that’s willing to work across party lines. That’s what I did in the state legislature and that’s what I will do in Washington.”
When asked why young voters should support her candidacy, Garrison responded that she believes interest rates on student loans should be lowered and that the availability of Pell Grants should not be lessened.
Johnson, questioned following the debate, said that voters needed to look at the actual voting records of himself and Garrison
“I have had many pieces of legislation pass the House of Representatives, all of them on a bipartisan basis…” he said. “What I’m hoping is that the voters tonight and those that will view this debate will do their own fact checking, because I believe they will find a lot of inconsistencies in what Mrs. Garrison had to say.”
He believes young voters should support him because his four children and six grandchildren keep him “youthful” in his thinking.
“Young people are the visionaries,” he said. “They’re the ones who think outside the box… I have great confidence in the younger generation and they always keep me grounded.”
Another debate pitted incumbent Democrat Debbie Phillips against the Republican candidate Yolan Dennis in the race to represent Ohio House of Representatives District 94, in which Marietta College resides. The first question these candidates tackled regarded Ohio House Bill 597, a proposed piece of legislation that would repeal Common Core standards within the state. Dennis spoke in favor of the bill, arguing that Common Core is a federal intrusion into what should be a local matter. Phillips opposed the legislation, saying that Common Core is simply a set of national standards and does not force a certain curriculum on school districts. She further stated that the proposed bill would require science teachers to “teach the controversy” by giving equal time to the theory of intelligent design and the more scientifically accepted concept of evolution. Phillips argued adding this to the curriculum would hurt Ohio students in the eyes of top colleges.
The contest for Washington County Commissioner featured Republican Rick Walters and Independent Ray Witten. They discussed several issues, mainly focusing on how to spur economic growth in the county. Both candidates indicated that they believe the booming oil and gas industry will provide job growth, though Witten also emphasized the importance of education to make citizens qualified for gainful employment. Asked how they would protect the environment, neither candidate gave a straightforward answer. Witten emphasized that new revenues from the oil and gas sector would be beneficial for the county. Walters concurred, but did promise to force companies to pay for any damage they cause to county roads.
As the long evening of debating came to an end, junior business management major Lauren Morain gave her thoughts on the night.
“The debate was definitely interesting,” she said. “It provided a lot of good information and insight into what all the candidates’ stances are. It really did open my eyes and will help me decide who to vote for.”
President Joseph Bruno reflected on what it meant for the college to host an event like this.
“This was an opportunity for us to be the good citizens in the community. It was exciting to see our democracy in action and to see so many passionate candidates here explaining to us how they want represent their districts. It’s a great night all around.”
If you missed the debates or would like to view them again, the Ohio 6th Congressional District debate will air on CSPAN. The program time has yet to be determined, but afterwards the video will become available online at www.c-span.org .
