Benjamin Weislogel

This page was current at the end of the individual's last campaign covered by Ballotpedia. Please contact us with any updates.

Benjamin Weislogel

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Democratic Party

Personal

Birthplace

Columbus, Ohio

Profession

Sales

Contact

Campaign website

Campaign Instagram

Benjamin Weislogel (Democratic Party) ran for election to the U.S. House to represent Ohio's 12th Congressional District. He did not appear on the ballot for the Democratic primary on April 28, 2020.

Weislogel completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2019. Click here to read the survey answers.

Elections

2020

See also: Ohio's 12th Congressional District election, 2020

Ohio's 12th Congressional District election, 2020 (April 28 Republican primary)

Ohio's 12th Congressional District election, 2020 (April 28 Democratic primary)

General election

General election for U.S. House Ohio District 12

Incumbent Troy Balderson defeated Alaina Shearer and John Stewart in the general election for U.S. House Ohio District 12 on November 3, 2020.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Troy Balderson (R)	55.2	241,790
		Alaina Shearer (D)	41.8	182,847
		John Stewart (L)	3.0	13,035

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	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 437,672
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Democratic primary election

Democratic primary for U.S. House Ohio District 12

Alaina Shearer defeated Jennifer Bell in the Democratic primary for U.S. House Ohio District 12 on April 28, 2020.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Alaina Shearer	58.4	34,103
		Jennifer Bell	41.6	24,263

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	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 58,366
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
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Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

• Benjamin Weislogel (D)

Republican primary election

Republican primary for U.S. House Ohio District 12

Incumbent Troy Balderson defeated Tim Day in the Republican primary for U.S. House Ohio District 12 on April 28, 2020.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Troy Balderson	83.9	51,412
	Submit photo	Tim Day	16.1	9,877

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	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 61,289
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

• Samuel Mierzejewski (R)

Libertarian primary election

Libertarian primary for U.S. House Ohio District 12

John Stewart advanced from the Libertarian primary for U.S. House Ohio District 12 on April 28, 2020.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		John Stewart (Write-in)	100.0	59

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	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 59
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Campaign themes

2020

Ballotpedia survey responses

See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection

Benjamin Weislogel completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2019. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Weislogel's responses. Candidates are asked three required questions for this survey, but they may answer additional optional questions as well.

Expand all | Collapse all

Who are you? Tell us about yourself.

My name is Ben Weislogel. I am a working class Ohioan and live in Columbus, Ohio. I was born in Hilliard and grew up in and around Columbus. My parents were divorced and struggled to put food on the table, my father lost a home to the 2008 financial crisis, and my mother was forced to use government assistance to support myself and my younger siblings. I understand what living a working class life is like, and I know the struggle of living paycheck to paycheck. I worked at a local tech store as a salesman from 2015 to 2019. In 2016 I was inspired to pursue politics, and began my dive into political theory and philosophy. I am currently in school, finishing my Associates at Columbus State, and will be pursuing a Bachelors degree at OSU, which I intend to finish. I believe there is no more time to waste when it comes to combating the climate emergency and solving economic injustice. I am a socialist, which means I believe that workers should receive full compensation for their labor, and that the mentality of minimizing wages while maximizing productivity leads to an unstable and unsustainable economy.

Please list below 3 key messages of your campaign. What are the main points you want voters to remember about your goals for your time in office?

• Working people should not have to struggle to have their basic needs met, including food, housing, and healthcare.
• We must give economic power back to working people so they are properly compensated for their labor.
• We must end the stranglehold that the wealthy elite have on our democracy and our economy.

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

Economic Justice, Creating a Cooperative Economy, Ethical Consumption, Ethical Election and Campaign Reform, Combating the Climate Emergency, Universal Healthcare, Affordable Housing, LGBTQ+ Rights, Criminal Justice Reform, Combating Police Brutality, Ending Regime Change Wars, Stopping the Global Tide of Fascism

Is there a book, essay, film, or something else you would recommend to someone who wants to understand your political philosophy?

Democracy At Work: A Cure for Capitalism by Prof. Richard D. Wolff

What characteristics or principles are most important for an elected official?

A well grounded Ethical philosophy, the intent to honestly represent their constituents, and a determination to ensure progress is made within society.

What do you believe are the core responsibilities for someone elected to this office?

Representing the people that voted for them, fighting for the rights of the disenfranchised, and ensuring they create legislation that aims to progress society towards a better, more egalitarian, and more just future.

What is the first historical event that happened in your lifetime that you remember? How old were you at the time?

I was seven when I watched the World Trade Center fall on the TV in my parents bedroom. My mother had pulled me out of school after the first plane hit. I didn't understand what was going on, but I remember being scared and confused.

What was your very first job? How long did you have it?

My first job was a seasonal retail position in a clothing store at a local mall that ended shortly after the holiday season.

What was the last song that got stuck in your head?

Stick Up - Grandson

What qualities does the U.S. House of Representatives possess that makes it unique as an institution?

Today the House of Representatives is probably one of the most corrupt Neoliberal establishments in America's history. I am to change that.

Do you believe that it's beneficial for representatives to have previous experience in government or politics?

Political experience can be helpful in drafting legislation, but I believe too much time spent in the system can lead one to become assimilated with it and forget what being a working class American is like. If a candidate doesn't enter politics intending to fight corruption to the bitter end they will inevitably become part of the problem.

What do you perceive to be the United States’ greatest challenges as a nation over the next decade?

The greatest yet most necessary challenge the United States faces will be the complete overhaul of our consumer society in moving away from unsustainable materials and devastation of our planet that we have allowed to persist in the name of corporate profits.

If you are not a current representative, are there certain committees that you would want to be a part of?

I would aim to be included on any of the following committees: Education and Labor, Energy and Commerce, Ethics, Science Space and Technology, or the Joint Economic Committee.

Do you believe that two years is the right term length for representatives?

I don't necessarily believe two years is an ideal term length. I believe it creates too much of a focus on reelection, as every other year House Representatives will be focused on campaigning and spending less time doing more productive work.

What are your thoughts on term limits?

I would support temporary term limitations, as in every 2-3 terms you must wait 1-2 terms for re-election to the same office.

Is there a particular representative, past or present, whom you want to model yourself after?

I respect Bernie Sanders' devotion to his positions and his morals, and would aim to uphold the same consistency and reliability.

Note: Ballotpedia reserves the right to edit Candidate Connection survey responses. Any edits made by Ballotpedia will be clearly marked with [brackets] for the public. If the candidate disagrees with an edit, he or she may request the full removal of the survey response from Ballotpedia.org. Ballotpedia does not edit or correct typographical errors unless the candidate's campaign requests it.

See also

2020 Elections

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External links

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Footnotes

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Ohio's current delegation to the United States Congress

Senators

Jon Husted (R)

Bernie Moreno (R)

Representatives

District 1

Greg Landsman (D)

District 2

David Taylor (R)

District 3

Joyce Beatty (D)

District 4

Jim Jordan (R)

District 5

Bob Latta (R)

District 6

Michael Rulli (R)

District 7

Max Miller (R)

District 8

Warren Davidson (R)

District 9

Marcy Kaptur (D)

District 10

Michael Turner (R)

District 11

Shontel Brown (D)

District 12

Troy Balderson (R)

District 13

Emilia Sykes (D)

District 14

David Joyce (R)

District 15

Mike Carey (R)

Republican Party (12)

Democratic Party (5)