District 7

The race for the District 7 seat in the Ohio Senate featured a Republican incumbent seeking his second and final term, against a Democratic newcomer who has never held public office before.

Wilson of Maineville was appointed to the seat in 2017 to fill a vacancy. He was elected to a full-term in 2018 and is seeking re-election to a final four-year term.

Wilson, 72, is being challenged b Dallas, of the Mount Lookout neighborhood in Cincinnati. He is a first-time candidate who said he supports big-tent Democratic Party principles.

On his social media pages, Dallas said he supports “big-tent Democratic Party principles” such as access to living wage jobs, quality affordable health care, affordable housing, public education, a woman’s right to choose, sensible gun laws, equal rights including marriage equality, environmental responsibility, free and fair elections, and the ability to discuss any of these topics without fear of violent reprisal.

Wilson said he loves the policy side of government and has been able to address issues and legislation such as financial literacy; elder fraud and electronic notarization.

“I’ve gotten things done and I like getting things done,” he said.

Wilson said voters should re-elect him because he’s a person with a business background and involved in the community.

District 7 includes all of Warren County, plus some of eastern Hamilton County. Members of the Ohio Senate serve four-year terms and receive an annual salary of $68,674. This year, 17 of the 33 seats in the Ohio Senate will be elected on Nov. 8.

District 56

A new drawn southern Warren County state house district will be represented in January by a person with no political experience at the state level.

Bennett faces Republican Mathews in the Nov. 8 election for the new Ohio House 56th District. Both have not been elected to a state political position. Starting in January, Ohio House District 56 covers Lebanon, Mason, Deerfield, Union and Turtlecreek Twps.

Bennett, 46, said she’s running because people in the district asked me to run to represent them in the Ohio House after leading a few different community projects and earned name recognition over the past three years.

Bennett said she has experience collaborating, listening, and working with an intentionally diverse group to make things better when leading the Family Advisory Council at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital.

“I am committed to representing everyone here, whether we see eye to eye on any given issues or not,” she said. “And I hear each of you when you plead for a ‘normal’ person who will do the hard work that doesn’t make sensational headlines.”

Bennett said her top priorities are freedom, life and opportunity.

She said she’ll reject government mandates on a person’s body and favor individual responsibility. Bennett said polls show more than 80% of Ohioans support some access to abortion and she wants to work to modify Ohio’s current 6-week ban on abortion to allow for common sense exceptions and more time for a pregnant person to discover they’re pregnant and make a decision.

Mathews said he’s running because as a city councilman and a small business attorney, he sees the impact that government regulation and overreach can have on hampering the American dream.

Mathews, 34, is currently the vice mayor of Lebanon and holds bachelor’s degree from the University of Notre Dame and his Juris Doctor from Notre Dame Law School. He is a Intellectual property and small business attorney, previously an engineer with P&G and civilian engineer for the Naval Nuclear Propulsion Program. Mathews also serves on a number of boards in Warren County and in greater Cincinnati.

His top three priorities, if elected, are to work on making Ohio the most pro-business and pro-family state possible, strengthen our education system and workforce, and defend our police.

District 55

Lipps and Zorn are seeking the District 55 seat which will cover all of northern Warren County, plus much of eastern and southern Warren County except for Lebanon and Mason, plus Deerfield, Union and Turtlecreek Twps. starting in January.

Lipps, 65, is completing his third term and is seeking a fourth and final term as a state representative. He is a former Franklin mayor and councilman, and is a small business owner.

Zorn, 78, served on Morrow Village Council for three terms and as a member of the Warren County Regional Planning Commission. He is a retired U.S. Postal Service employee and served as a union steward. Zorn has also owned some small businesses. He is an Army veteran and is active with various veterans’ organizations.

Zorn said he is passionate about several issues, including strong public schools; workers’ rights for fair and competitive wages; access to healthcare; veterans’ health, safety and support; women’s rights and equal rights; and environmental excellence.

He said he is running to help solve the redistricting issue at the Statehouse; to work with veterans, and work on transportation issues facing the handicapped.

Lipps said he’s seeking re-election because he wants to continue supporting Warren County. He said he wants to assist individuals living with developmental disabilities, lower drug costs through Pharmacy Benefit Manager reform, lower taxes, protect second amendment rights, and protect unborn lives.

Lipps identified the top three issues in the state as fighting the erosion of personal and constitutional rights; lower drug costs; and lower taxes for individuals and businesses.

State representatives serve two-year terms and will receive a base salary of $69,876 starting in 2023. State representatives receive higher salaries if they serve in a House leadership position or as a committee chair. A state representative can only serve four consecutive terms before sitting out a term.