Addison Caruso
Residence: Oakwood
Organizations, boards, previous elected positions: Dayton Bar Association; Ohio State Bar Association; Washington DC Bar Association
Education: Oakwood High School; Miami University (BA in History and Political Science) graduated Magna Cum Laude and Phi Beta Kappa; Duke Law School (JD)
Current employment: Staff Attorney at Advocates for Basic Legal Equality
Why are you seeking elected office: I am disappointed and frustrated with the direction our state is heading. Our Statehouse is passing unpopular policies like arming teachers, the six week abortion ban, and House Bill 6, where we are still sending $200,000 to a failing coal plants in Indiana. Then they seek to insulate themselves from accountability by repeatedly passing unconstitutional gerrymandered maps that cost Ohio taxpayers over $20 million dollars. Our current Statehouse seeks to only serve a radical few, and not every day Ohioans. We need to change this. When this district became newly competitive, it became clear this was an opportunity to be the change I wanted to see and to help shift the culture of our Statehouse to one of public service, and not personal service. We need more public servants in the Statehouse, who want to represent everyday Ohioans and focus on common sense issues. As our Statehouse has increasingly become out of touch with everyday Ohioans, it is up to all of us to take a stand and say “enough is enough” and hold our current State Legislature accountable.
Why should voters elect you: Voters should elect me because of the stagnation in our state. We have had nearly continuous one party rule in our Statehouse for my whole life, and it has led to people leaving our state. I wanted to come back home because I see so much potential. We have friendly people, willing workers, and great communities, but we cannot attract businesses and growth if we cannot bring people to Ohio and keep those already here from leaving. A large part of this is the policies of our Statehouse driving people away. Voters should elect me because we need new voices and ideas in our Statehouse. We also need voices who want to serve the public and are in this for the right reasons. I want to serve our state and its citizens. I want to be that public servant that we need in the Statehouse. Too often our current state legislators have served only themselves and their donors’ interests, I want to serve the people.
Credit: FILE
Credit: FILE
If elected, what will be your top three priorities? My top three priorities are education, energy reform, and affordable housing.
What specific plans do you have to address those top priorities? To address education, we need to address how schools are funded. Property taxes keep rising because our state has moved funding away from schools and local governments, The funds are there without raising taxes if Columbus will allocate it. Every child deserves access to a quality education, regardless of their zip code. By tying school funding to property values, it harms areas least able to shoulder the burden, creating a cycle of failure which justifies taking away even more money from those schools. I also want to work on energy reform. Energy prices have risen in our state because our state has not invested in its grid. This has caused blackouts in Columbus. From working in the Ohio Environmental Council, I know how Ohio has actively discouraged new green energy sources like wind and solar, both of which are becoming cheaper and more stable. For example, our Statehouse recently passed a bill allowing counties to outlaw all wind and solar development, even if a property owner seeks to install one on their property. Laws like this that discourage development and investment in new energy sources even though they bring more jobs with lower energy prices. I also want to focus on housing. As a legal aid attorney who
Anything else you would like voters to know? Public service has been a constant in my life. In elementary school I began volunteering at Dayton History working there through my high school years. My family also had a tradition of volunteering at Dayton’s Feast of Giving each year. I worked as a campaign intern knocking doors for President Obama in 2008 and as a Field Intern in 2012. Giving back to my community and working for positive change have been constants throughout my life. During my undergraduate college Miami years, I served as Miami Hillel’s Social Justice Chair creating programs that addressed inequalities in Oxford as well as the surrounding communities. I was also selected for Student Government as a Judge on Student Court and was involved in Mock Trial. While at Duke Law School, I worked in the Environmental Law and Policy Clinic serving low income and nonprofit clients to address environmental wrongs. I was the Editor of the Duke Environmental Law Journal and coached the Duke undergraduate mock trial teal. I had an externship with the Federal EPA and then a fellowship with Ohio Environmental Council. In short, I have a history of serving my community and I will continue to do so. While my peers went to large law firms in DC and New York, I wanted to come back home and work as an attorney being fortunate enough to find a job as a Legal Aid attorney. I grew up here and have a sense of love and pride in Dayton and our community. I believe in our State and its endless possibilities!
*******************
Andrea White
Residence: Kettering
Organizations, boards, previous elected positions: I previously served as Clerk of Court for Kettering Municipal Court for 17 years, was the long-time chair and board member for Partners for Healthy Youth, co-founder of South Suburban Coalition, United for Alcohol and Drug-Free Youth, Community Overdose Action Team, Montgomery County Prevention Coalition, Montgomery County Community Overdose Action Team, and past president and co-chair of Legislative Committee for the Ohio Association of Municipal/County Court Clerks.
Education: B.A., Communications, Wright State University
Current employment: Ohio State Representative, District 41
Why are you seeking elected office: I am so grateful for the opportunity to serve as State Representative these past two years. I have spent most of my adult life working to help build a positive future for our children, our families and our communities. What drives me is my belief that every person -- no matter who your parents are or what zip code you live in -- has the right to be treated with dignity and have access to opportunities and resources to thrive and grow to their fullest God-given potential.
No doubt, there’s a lot getting in the way of our ability to flourish. Over the past few years, our communities and our state have faced enormous challenges. I’ve seen so many individuals struggling – with affording food and health care, fighting addiction and mental health issues, trying to improve their education and skills to get a higher-paying job. Now, more than ever, we need experienced, collaborative, common-sense leaders in Columbus who can bring our region’s voice and who have a track record of getting things done. I want to use my skills and lived experiences to continue to be that kind of leader for District 36. That’s why I ran two years ago and it’s why I’m running today.
Why should voters elect you: What I bring with me to this position is a heart that truly cares and a life that takes action. I have deep experience working in the private, non-profit and public sectors. I understand what it takes to run and grow a business. I know how to ask the tough questions and make changes to innovate and improve how government works for you. And when I hear about problems facing individuals in our community, I am passionate about bringing people together to solve problems and find solutions for the tough challenges.
As I’ve served in the Legislature these past two years, I’ve drawn extensively on our region’s input and my diverse lived experiences. My background includes serving as elected Clerk of Court for Kettering Municipal Court, representing Centerville, Kettering, Washington Township and Moraine. With my team, I focused on leveraging technology, reinventing process and cutting costs to improve services and return millions in revenues and cost saving to taxpayers.
Before coming to the court, I ran my own business for more than 15 years providing communications and process improvement solutions for small and large companies and non-profit organizations. I also worked for a statewide organization to increase inclusion and eliminate barriers for Ohioans with developmental disabilities and served as a hospital communications professional.
In the community, I’ve led and worked alongside many dedicated individuals to launch initiatives to address teen alcohol and drug prevention, addiction, hunger, criminal justice issues and building positive life skills so key to mental health.
Credit: FILE
Credit: FILE
If elected, what will be your top three priorities? At the Statehouse, I’ve been an independent voice for our district – listening and leaning in to address issues head-on. The health, education, safety and economic security of our families, our businesses and our communities have been – and will continue to be – my top priorities.
What specific plans do you have to address those top priorities? Mental and behavioral health issues are growing – particularly among our youth. I am a huge proponent of prevention and I am working on measures to advance requiring evidence-based prevention education in the early grades so that we can support families and help our children have the resilience, self-regulation, communication and other life skills they need to help prevent future mental health and substance misuse problems.
On the education front, I’ve been a joint co-chair of a statewide study committee on improving access to child care and quality early learning. Our recommendations lay the groundwork for some future opportunities and solutions I will pursue to continue to improve school readiness, which is such a large predictor to educational success. I also plan to work on continuing to expand regional partnerships and career exploration opportunities and pathways for our middle and high school students so that they can easily launch into future post high school credential attainment – which will help them be able to better provide for themselves and their families. Preparing our future workforce and helping our current workforce upskill are both key areas I will focus on to help solve our employment crisis and ensure economic stability.
Crime and public safety are also major issues. I will be using my criminal justice background to continue to look for ways to keep our neighborhoods safe, protect victims’ rights, hold criminals accountable, and provide opportunities for re-entry back into a productive life for those who have served their time.
Anything else you would like voters to know? What I hope voters will remember is that I am driven to get results that impact peoples’ lives and I care. In my two years in office, I’ve passed four bills into law. Four others have passed the Ohio House and are now pending in the Senate. All of these bills are the result of listening to the shared problems of the people in our region, leaning in to learn about their great ideas, and taking action with them to create solutions. As a State Representative, I am just a conduit for collective impact. I’ve been blessed to work alongside many dedicated, creative individuals in our communities and I remain focused on bringing people together to solve problems and drive change for the good for our region. It is my hope that I can continue to serve and the voters put me back to work for our community in 2023!