BY ANNA BOWLING
As a follow up to last month’s article on the upcoming Ohio Senate race, The Bruin sat down with the Democratic candidate for the Senate, and the current incumbent, Sherrod Brown.
“[I chose to run because] people in Ohio and throughout the country are working harder and longer than ever, but with less and less to show for it,” Brown said. “I’m running for re-election to keep fighting for Ohio’s hardworking families.”
Brown is familiar with the problems that face us here in Ohio and he has been working to better the system. He wants to be on a level that the communities in Ohio can relate to.
“The problems I work on are the issues that matter most to Ohioans: economic opportunity, affordable health care, and making hard work pay off like it used to,” said Brown.
People continue to look towards policy makers for the issues at hand. Concerns about education are still being brought forward.
“All students deserve a community that supports their education. I’m troubled by the lack of oversight and transparency of many charter schools — and will continue pushing for accountability [of them],” Brown said. “I will also keep up my efforts to bring critical resources to K-12 schools across Ohio, along with making higher education more accessible to every American.”
Along with the discussions of education are talks of school safety. After the March for Our Lives, kids are speaking out more than ever. Some students do not feel safe in their schools.
“Students and teachers should never have to worry about the threat of violence. I recently introduced a bipartisan bill to invest in early prevention programs and school safety,” Brown said. “The Students, Teachers, and Officers Preventing School Violence Act of 2018 (STOP) is only one part of a larger set of common-sense reforms to make our school communities safer.”
With the seniors at Wadsworth High about to leave for college, many are wondering how they will pay for it all with the price of tuition continuously going up.
“From skyrocketing college costs to predatory for-profit institutions, higher education is rapidly becoming unattainable for many Americans,” Brown said. “I’m a strong supporter of a number of proposals to expand access to higher education by making it more affordable. I support expanding student loan programs and introducing tax credits for middle-class families, among many other worthy efforts.”
In terms of the election, Brown will be running for his third term. He hopes to continue his policies and continue making change for Ohioans.
“This election isn’t about whose name is on the ballot, it’s about the ideas and policies that will shape our children’s lives,” he said. “Quality education is an important issue, but higher wages, affordable healthcare, and a clean environment are also policy objectives that will affect the futures of all Ohio students. I urge you to stay informed, get involved and fight for issues you care about. Your voice matters and it will make a difference in your own community, Ohio, and across this country.”
Senator Brown began his senatorial career in 2006 and was reelected in 2012. He has been the head of many committees over the last few years, including The Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs.
Brown’s Republican challenger will be Congressman Jim Renacci, Mike Gibbons or Melissa Ackison in the upcoming Senate election.
The election will be held on Nov. 6, 2018.
