Craig Swartz
Craig Swartz (Democratic Party) ran for election to the Ohio House of Representatives to represent District 87. He lost in the general election on November 5, 2024.
Biography
Craig Swartz was born in Middleburg Heights, Ohio. He earned a bachelor’s degree from Ohio State University in 1980. He also studied at Schiller International University. Swartz’s career experience includes working as an international legal assistant, international legal advisor, restaurant owner, writer, factory worker, insurance agent, and realtor.[1]
Elections
2024
See also: Ohio House of Representatives elections, 2024
General election
General election for Ohio House of Representatives District 87
Incumbent Riordan McClain defeated Craig Swartz in the general election for Ohio House of Representatives District 87 on November 5, 2024.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ |  | Riordan McClain (R) | 76.5 | 42,897 |
 | Craig Swartz (D) | 23.5 | 13,205 | |
| Total votes: 56,102 | |||
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Democratic primary election
Democratic primary for Ohio House of Representatives District 87
Craig Swartz advanced from the Democratic primary for Ohio House of Representatives District 87 on March 19, 2024.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Craig Swartz | 100.0 | 2,218 |
| Total votes: 2,218 | |||
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Republican primary election
Republican primary for Ohio House of Representatives District 87
Incumbent Riordan McClain advanced from the Republican primary for Ohio House of Representatives District 87 on March 19, 2024.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Riordan McClain | 100.0 | 12,360 |
| Total votes: 12,360 | |||
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Campaign finance
Endorsements
Ballotpedia did not identify endorsements for Swartz in this election.
2022
See also: Ohio's 5th Congressional District election, 2022
General election
General election for U.S. House Ohio District 5
Incumbent Bob Latta defeated Craig Swartz in the general election for U.S. House Ohio District 5 on November 8, 2022.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ |  | Bob Latta (R) | 66.9 | 187,303 |
| Craig Swartz (D) | 33.1 | 92,634 | |
| Total votes: 279,937 | |||
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Democratic primary election
Democratic primary for U.S. House Ohio District 5
Craig Swartz defeated Martin Heberling III in the Democratic primary for U.S. House Ohio District 5 on May 3, 2022.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Craig Swartz | 55.3 | 14,590 |
 | Martin Heberling III | 44.7 | 11,812 | |
| Total votes: 26,402 | |||
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Withdrawn or disqualified candidates
- Jeffrey Agan Jr. (D)
Republican primary election
Republican primary for U.S. House Ohio District 5
Incumbent Bob Latta advanced from the Republican primary for U.S. House Ohio District 5 on May 3, 2022.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Bob Latta | 100.0 | 69,981 |
| Total votes: 69,981 | |||
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2020
See also: Ohio State Senate elections, 2020
General election
General election for Ohio State Senate District 26
Bill Reineke defeated Craig Swartz and Robert Taylor in the general election for Ohio State Senate District 26 on November 3, 2020.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ |  | Bill Reineke (R) | 70.6 | 114,776 |
| Craig Swartz (D) | 28.9 | 47,050 | |
| Robert Taylor (Independent) (Write-in) | 0.5 | 824 | ||
| Total votes: 162,650 | |||
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Democratic primary election
Democratic primary for Ohio State Senate District 26
Craig Swartz advanced from the Democratic primary for Ohio State Senate District 26 on April 28, 2020.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Craig Swartz | 100.0 | 14,208 |
| Total votes: 14,208 | |||
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Watch the Candidate Conversation for this race!
Republican primary election
Republican primary for Ohio State Senate District 26
Bill Reineke defeated Melissa Ackison in the Republican primary for Ohio State Senate District 26 on April 28, 2020.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Bill Reineke | 64.7 | 25,363 |
 | Melissa Ackison | 35.3 | 13,864 | |
| Total votes: 39,227 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
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Campaign finance
Campaign themes
2024
Ballotpedia survey responses
See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection
Craig Swartz did not complete Ballotpedia's 2024 Candidate Connection survey.
2022
Craig Swartz did not complete Ballotpedia's 2022 Candidate Connection survey.
Campaign website
Swartz's campaign website stated the following:
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The All-American Tax Act Being smarter about taxes is not just saying we’ll cut taxes, it is about an honest and transparent conversation about where our tax dollars will be spent. It is also widely accepted that some form of taxation must exist to pay for goods and services that are enjoyed by the public at large and which contribute to their safety and security in their homes and communities. Our country’s founding and continued existence is filled with examples of citizens largely fighting against excessive taxation either on a personal or community level or resentment against segments of the populace that are not paying their share of taxes . My proposed All-American Tax Act would return Over $300/month to average working Americans
Women's Health Choices Matter Nearly 1 in 4 women in the US will have an abortion by age 45. Abortion is healthcare and people making their own healthcare decisions is within their rights to do so. Upholding the right for women to choose what is best for their health, not the government is a core value of my campaign.
Even though the GOP likes to claim it's the party of small government, it really is the party of big government. From introducing legislation to jail doctors for providing abortions to creating bounties on anyone suspected of helping women get their healthcare. These regulations target women with the hand of big government. It's hypocritical for a party to do these things and say they're the party of small government. People have the right to choose their form of birth control and any effort to that interferes in the relationship between a person and their doctor should be blocked.
I believe the values I grew up with are still possible despite today’s toxic politics. My values inform my view on LGBTQ equality and the unique issues that community faces in our district. Don’t Say Gay Bills Republicans in states like Florida and now Ohio have introduced “Dont say gay” laws that tell our teachers to ignore our children’s needs. My campaign is opposed to bills which would cause harm to our LGBTQ kids by further stigmatizing them. Trans Kids Deserve to Play Sports Every kid deserves to play sports consistent with their gender identity. Last year 66 bills across the country were introduced to discriminate against trans youth in sports. This attack on our kids is an effort to create a new boogeyman in politics just as gay marriage was in the early 2000’s. It’s wrong and I don’t support it. LGBTQ Healthcare Healthcare is a basic right for everyone. That includes our LGBTQ youth who’ve seen at least 33 bills last year denying them gender affirming healthcare. Some of these laws even aim to punish parents of trans kids who help their children get the healthcare they need in order to thrive and live as they are.
The Cause goes on There is no greater duty for Americans than voting. Voting is the one sure way of voicing our opinions by electing those to office we believe best to represent our ideals and values. Voting is one of those sacred rights in America that is precious to so many, but was not given to everyone. That’s why our country had to change from when only a few could vote to the many who now can. But voting is under attack today more than ever by state and federal lawmakers who want to make it harder for Americans to vote. We are seeing updated forms of Jim Crow era laws making it harder for folks to vote, districts where lawmakers pick their voters and People losing their vote due to voter purges because they choose not to vote in a prior election.. These restrictions are a way for those in power to remain in power by putting party over country and it is costing us our freedom. Democracy is hard work and it is never-ending for citizens to make sure their civil rights are being protected by the very people they vote into office. Even in the 21st Century the Cause must go on to ensure voting rights for everyone and fair and representative voting districts. Passing Federal Voting Rights One of the main reasons the Framers decided to ditch the Articles of Confederation in favor of The Constitution was that the 13 states had 13 different ways of doing just about everything. The Constitution unified coinage, interstate commerce, a single postal system and Navy but it left voting to the states which leaves us with 50 different ways of voting in local, state and federal elections. It is about time we came up with a standardized set of voting requirements that allows for the fullest participation by its eligible citizens. Passing the John Lewis Voting Rights Act and the House-passed Voting Rights Act is essential at getting rid of states’ ill-advised attempts at limiting the people’s rights to vote, and standardizing best voting practices across all 50 states. Gerrymandering must stop Gerrymandering is a process where politicians decide who their voters are going to be for the next ten years. In Ohio for example, the GOP drew our districts in 2011 in such a way that not one district flipped party control in the ten years they were used even though our state voted for both President Obama and Trump twice. States are dragging their feet at drawing new district maps after the 2020 census. Voters in many states demanded fair maps, like in Ohio, but like Ohio many states have failed or refused to comply with the People’s voice and are stalling for time in the courts based on bad faith attempts at designing fair districts.
Accepting our Role It doesn’t matter if you believe in man made climate change or not because the truth is, people exist, interact with their environment and usually leave a mess, so it is up to each of us to do our part and leave our piece of the garden better off than the way we got it. People will say that the Earth has gone through climate changes many times before but all that really matters is this time not then. Back then, there weren’t hundreds of millions of cars and trucks spewing fumes in the air, 8 billion people building mountains of waste daily or thousands of factories polluting waterways. All the garbage we put into the land, sea and air is on every single one of us. We can be better just by accepting our role in leaving behind a better environment, and voting for those candidates who support measures to help clean things up. Growing up I spent time as a Boy Scout and after every weekend camp, we’d line shoulder to shoulder and police our area, leaving it better than when we arrived. This needs to be our attitude going forward. My campaign accepts that humanity has a great responsibility ensuring that the environment is fully protected from generation to generation, and the role of the U.S. as a world leader setting an example. Protecting the Land There is no other option here. We must learn to respect the ground beneath us and take care as to its use above. We will always need regulations that make sure we reduce harm to our land resources as much as possible, holding violators accountable, and restoring it back to a good use. The Build Back Better had programs designed to help communities revamp neighborhoods, demolish condemned buildings and create new open spaces for public use and enjoyment. As your Congressman, I will be committed to seeing legislation of this kind passed so as to speed up the rebirth of small towns across Ohio and the Country. It is important we keep encouraging best practices by our farmer industry in making sure that toxins are being reduced in the soil to lessen runoff that pollute our waterways. My plan is to promote the use of hemp as an alternative cash crop for farmers to be planted as borders between corn and soy plantings and waterways. Hemp is known to absorb toxins in the ground caused by fertilizers and pesticides and this would lessen runoff. Water is Life Even after the disaster in Flint, Americans are left wondering why we’re still not doing it enough to save our water resources. Part of our national security is to provide clean, fresh water to all of its citizens so all communities can thrive and live healthy. There must be a renewed emphasis on getting our watchdog agencies, like the EPA, the resources they need to make sure our water resources are protected. The Air We Breathe Probably the most important resource of all is the very air around us and how this one resource affects us all. Air has no boundaries so what one person puts in the air can have an immediate effect on a person nearby. So, imagine a single country putting toxins in the air from burning fossil fuels and now think of the world doing it for over a century and a half. Improving carbon capture methods from extraction and emissions must be one of our major tasks ahead. Cleaning up our air is going to help our land and water resources just making sure the rain and snow that fall on them are that much cleaner.
It is way past time that the U.S. developed a better approach to immigration that will help our communities thrive and our labor economy become more stable. We need an efficient and modern way of handling immigrants desiring to enter the U.S. for either asylum or economic reasons. Our history with immigration started badly enough and even after all this time has rarely been done in a good way. The early colonizers regarded themselves above everyone else, including Native Americans, even though they were immigrants too. They brought servants and slaves with them and soon enough racism was born in America. A growing and hungry country would overlook the bigotry and prejudice that greeted each wave of immigrants and keep expanding opportunities for all of them, except for the former slaves. Nowadays, immigrants are once again seen in a negative manner and the U.S. government is hampered by politics to do anything about it. The Pandemic has made things worse by slowing migration and keeping people stuck at borders. Also, our own foreign policies have caused thousands to escape brutal conditions in their home countries and seek asylum here hoping to restore some dignity in their shattered lives. Dealing with Reality We have three groups of immigrants that need to addressed; those who are undocumented living in the U.S., Dreamers and those still waiting to enter the U.S. The immediate concern for lawmakers is to get everyone who is presently in our borders documented as quickly as possible. We should know the number of people who need documents to live and work in the U.S. and for Dreamers to be secure in their future here. We need to expand our processing centers so they are able to handle unexpected surges in immigration requests and treat all who seek entry with compassion and dignity. Examining our Foreign Policies The U.S. must review its foreign policies, especially toward Central America, which contributes to massive waves of immigrants fleeing torture, death and extreme poverty at the hands of their governments. Promoting human rights and reducing violence wherever we can will help address the root causes of migration such as repression, starvation and war and it will save lives. Two Approaches with a Single Purpose The U.S. has a large, potential workforce that couldn’t come at a better time. The Pandemic has left huge gaps in the labor ranks for a number of industries and so it is in the best interests of government and industry to work together to replenish these jobs as soon as possible. The U.S. could revamp its immigration processing in two ways. First, expand the temporary guest worker program to speed up the number of immigrants who may only want to work in the U.S. for a specified time period without gaining citizenship. Second, create a new pathway to citizenship that is reasonable in its requirements especially when it comes to a waiting period.
100% U.S. Made Energy The U.S. is again one of the world’s leading natural gas and oil producers yet it still imports foreign oil on a daily basis and that’s why we need to get 100% of our own needs right here and right now. As of today, renewables account for approximately 10% of America’s energy sources. If we increase that just up to 20% in the next several years, a lot of the oil politics that dominate our news cycles and affect us personally may be a thing of the past. Fossil fuels, like the name suggests, come from remains from long ago and whose own extinction may now be in sight. Our future lies in constantly moving forward with ways to reduce our dependency on others, producing all the power we need here at home and removing our heavy, carbon footprint on the Earth. Let’s Transition Now Natural Gas Opportunities We are still going to need natural gas for a while and there are ways of getting it out of the ground other than just fracking. Natural gas from sources, such as landfills, is referred to as renewable natural gas and can be a great alternative. We can do much more at this level while new ways to carbon capture can further reduce methane emissions and be safer on the environment. Communities Should Benefit A carbon tax on the oil and gas industry will help put money back into communities most affected from oil and gas projects. These funds will also help communities in the long run transition away from fossil fuels. Reforming How We Use Energy States, like Ohio, need to increase their solar power future and they can do this by speeding up and reforming the permit approval process. Solar farms in our counties are seeing political push-back because of the hold the fossil fuel industry still has on our leaders. These projects give our farmers rental income, thousands of construction jobs as well as hundreds of permanent jobs are made in rural areas and the farmland gets some badly needed rest. Green Travel for Americans It is important that we do our part to help reduce our need for fossil fuels and start using renewables for our transportation purposes. Congress should encourage this growth in both the private and public sectors. Large fleets such freight companies, public transit buses and waste management have switched to compressed natural gas (CNG) engines which burn cleaner than diesel and need much less maintenance. In time, many of these same fleets will be switching to all-electrics. Increasing electrically powered mass transit use with buses, trains and cars will not only help reduce emissions but give Americans more travel options for work and fun. Righting the Energy Wrongs The U.S. cannot afford to continue to bail out aging coal and nuclear plants and with no plan to stop doing so. Taxpayers have been paying for years for politicians to keep kicking this can down the road and it needs to stop. Creating a national energy plan, which has never been done right, will help us transition off coal sooner rather than later and put a timeline on natural gas as well. A national energy plan will finally establish a national repository for all nuclear waste in the country. Another Ohio Fuel Source Northeast Ohio leads research in hydrogen fuel cells that use natural gas. Hydrogen fuel cells are going to be critical for energy storage and transportation industries for cars, trucks, trains and even spacecraft. Recently, Hyperion, a hydrogen fuel company, announced it’s moving to Columbus from California. Liquid hydrogen is the fuel of choice for heavy lift purposes and can be extracted from methane (CH4). We have an enormous opportunity to provide the raw materials for these growing industries and use these resources to finance its own transformation.
Reversing 40 years of Negligence U.S. Labor is at a critical time in its history and it will be up to the government to help protect workers’ rights as they organize to demand better pay and working conditions. The Pandemic period has brought out into the open what the last 40 years of neglect by government and industry leaders have done to our economy and workforce. The mad push for shareholder profits outsourced millions of good-paying jobs and destroyed communities. As a result, we have increased child mortality, domestic violence, drug use, poverty and suicide in our towns. There is no doubt today that a skilled workforce and dependable domestic supply chain are a vital part of our national security. Let's Build Back Labor If the U.S. economy is going to succeed for all, labor will play an important role. The Biden Administration got key legislation passed that will rebuild our infrastructure and supply chains but much more needs to be done. We need new funding to transform our local and national economies by helping millions of workers realize a new American dream for their future. Congress can help by passing laws that increase opportunities for trade skill education, boost employee buy-ins for new manufacturing industries, rehab thousands from prison, fixes immigration and enhances employment for the disabled. Unions The world’s greatest economy was built by labor demanding and getting good pay for their work. Unions created the middle class and gave the next generation a hopeful future, but politicians ignored workers and sided with business in tearing down unions. Unions are making a comeback though because everyone knows that trade skills must be maintained and expanded to get our economy on the right track. Unions are the best way for organizing and training the future of workers. Restoring dignity among workers, regardless if they are non-union or union, needs to be a top priority for lawmakers as this will lead to better working conditions, better living standards and strong communities.
Congress Needs Get its Power Back When it comes to our national security, Congress needs to start having an honest conversation with the American people about defense spending and how we conduct foreign policy. The Founders put Congress in charge of defense and foreign policy of the country. Over time though, most of that power was handed over to the President by Congress. Congress may still decide how much to pay for it, but the President is still calling all the shots. Congress rarely asks questions and approves most actions by Presidents who have conducted secret operations, entered into international agreements, fast-tracked trade agreements and implemented tariffs, all without Congressional sign off.
After 9/11, Congress passed legislation giving power to the President that went further than any in the past. Since 2001, because of those actions, thousands of lives were lost and broken, trillions spent with little transparency and no questioning of it by Congress. Peace Remains Elusive The crisis in Ukraine shows us once again how finding peace remains hard work but if Americans want peace, then we must do our part too. Our U.S. military drops bombs in at least five countries, operates special forces in over a hundred all while our diplomats are interfering in elections overseas. The never-ending cycles of violence the U.S. plays a role in around the world has prevented Americans from achieving what peace we’ve been promised every time we prepared for war. The constant war footing consumes our resources, divides us and makes peace that much harder to obtain. Instead of resolving conflicts, we are creating future fiascos that will put Americans in harm’s way. Congress needs to start asking the hard questions, closely examine defense spending and assert a peaceful and proactive foreign policy. Steps Toward Real National Security National Security means more than just money spent on equipment and troops for the preparation and prevention of war, it also means the readiness of the American people to support such actions. The Pandemic showed that our national defense must have a stable and strong domestic supply chain network. Americans are feeling confused, distrustful and showing hate, and that is hurting our ability to work together in solving our problems. Our Country’s budget needs new priorities that focus on domestic issues such as newer, cleaner sources of energy, stronger infrastructure, efficient transit and plentiful clean water. Congress needs to act with better ideas and long-term plans on strengthening our domestic economy which contributes to our national security. The U.S. remains a beacon to the rest of the world because every year thousands risk their lives to come here, but it’s also because our actions put these same thousands at risk in the first place. The U.S. needs to stop interfering in other countries, like in Central America, and work closely with other countries in solving difficult, long-term problems such as the Middle East. The American People need to tell Congress how they see the U.S.’s role in our world. Our defense budget must reflect the will of the People. This approach to our defense and foreign policy will better serve our troops, save lives and property and will promote peace. The International Day of Peace occurs on September 21 of each year and calls for no fighting for just one day. As your Congressman, I will draft legislation that expands this observance to include a stop to any financial transactions concerning arms trading, shipment and deployment and push for an International Truce Week as a simple step toward building a more peaceful future.
Whether College or Trade, Common Sense Education is Key Our country must make sure that the next generation is left better off with an educational system that reaches out to every individual giving them every opportunity to achieve their goals. We must do better in planning for our kids' futures. The jobs of today require common sense education that empowers students, not holding them back with testing and rigid methods. My campaign advocates for new approaches to primary and secondary education such as reduced testing, later starting times and renewed emphasis on languages and music. My plan also calls for much enhanced trade education as the country continues to experience a shortage of trained labor across the trades. In order to help achieve our country’s educational needs, Congress now accepts that funding must be increased for Pell Grants and other financial programs to help students find the right educational path for them. Skilled Trades Our Trade schools need to have expanded programs that include electrical and mechanical training on installation of new charging and fueling stations for future transportation needs. Electric, natural gas engines, compressors and pumps, steam turbines, power grid components all require specialized training. Jobs of Tomorrow Many communities still need carpenters, drivers, electricians, mechanics, pipefitters, plumbers and welders and we need to promote those skills by providing more grants for post-secondary education at colleges and technical schools. Economic Transformation Let’s start a new program for high school students and graduates who desire to work on the country’s economic transformation in exchange for wages and/or university credit. This could be a way of making college more affordable. Private and public colleges and universities, research centers and laboratories are sprinkled generously throughout our country and attract students from all over the world. Yet how many can afford to attend the local college in their hometown? Local Students Attend Locally We need to provide for people to attend the school of their choice which may be just down the street from where they live. Given the fact that more and more people are engaged in online studies for post-secondary studies from out of state institutions, our invaluable brick and mortar institutions are at risk of falling attendance. A long-term work study program allied with colleges may be able to fill those seats up in the classrooms.
Local Ag History Ohio used to have one of the most diverse ag economies in the country where farmers grew all kinds of grains, fruits and vegetables. In fact, right up to the Civil War, Ohio was the leading grape producer in the U.S. but a labor shortage brought on by the War and later disease wiped out most of Ohio’s vineyards. After the War, Ohio’s farmers focused on two main cash crops, corn and soy, and the primary reason was to feed the South during Reconstruction. With the exception of certain pockets now diversifying, Ohio’s ag economy still relies heavily on those two main crops.
Leaders must carefully take into account the history of the country’s Ag economy, its current state and its future and how it will preserve strong farming communities and strengthen them in the decades ahead. Ohio has one of the most diverse economies in the country but if there is one sector that stands out more than most needing direction, it is agriculture. Agriculture Now Leaders must work with our farming community and come up with some practical goals toward a sustainable farm economy in the next few years. These goals cover ethanol, wind and solar farms, rural internet infrastructure, soil and conservation, run-off, access to new markets with industrial hemp. Our farmers are great at adapting. Just look at the return of the wine industry to Ohio. Ohio’s wineries have grown in number in a very short period of time, from 60 winery operations in the early 2000’s to now 200+. Ohio is back in the beer business too, with new farm operations growing distinctive hop varieties. Ohio and other states are ready to broaden their ag product range that will increase our food security in the long run by lessening our dependence on a handful of states providing the majority of our country’s food such as California. All they need is leadership that is willing to work with them. Protecting Our Lake Erie I fully support Rep. March Kaptur’s proposed Great Lakes Authority that will establish a new federal program to protect the Great Lakes and its watersheds. This program will help the farming community in their initiatives such as the 4Rs program, cover crops, filter strips, buffer zones and blind outlets in efforts to reduce nutrient runoff into the Great Lakes. Lawmakers can advocate for further regulation of confined/concentrated animal feeding facilities/CAFOs. Additionally, new permits for livestock CAFOs could be paused until a proper census is conducted. The census establishes a baseline to help regulate the number of animal units within a watershed’s carrying capacity. Finally, the spreading of fertilizer – including manure – be limited to the agronomic rate, especially in any watershed designated as impaired by the U.S. or states’ EPA’s. Foreign Ownership States with little regulation on foreign ownership of agricultural land infrastructure, and food security is an important reason to be concerned as overseas owners of our food supply here at home makes us vulnerable to national security.
Next Generation Manufacturing Opportunities The U.S. still maintains the most robust economy in the world but as we saw these last several years probably the most vulnerable too, and that’s because our manufacturing capability is not nearly as strong as it could be. For the last 40 years, manufacturing in the U.S. has been declining and that’s why you can’t find any product in a store that displays the label; “Made in U.S.A.” The trade agreements were supposed to be good for all Americans and lead to a revamped economy that put the U.S. at the top of the heap, but all it did was make us an exporter of raw materials and force American consumers to buy more and more products made abroad. However, the Pandemic has proven to everyone that we must focus on rebuilding our domestic manufacturing, spreading commercial and industrial development to more areas of the country, especially rural ones, and looking to hand off to the next generation a sound economy and strong manufacturing base. Mass Transit Opportunities Intel is coming to Columbus, Ohio to build the largest chip factory in the world employing thousands of hardworking Ohioans. No one though is talking about how these workers are going to get to work and that is a missed opportunity. We can build new light-rail systems linking downtowns with industrial areas, airports, suburbs and rural towns that will help workers lower their costs of traveling and help reduce traffic and pollution as well. These new ways to travel can be clean and built right here in Ohio! All we need is the leadership to make it happen. Components such as rails, cars, station platforms and power generation should be constructed from materials here in our communities. bringing jobs locally and by linking small towns with big cities that boosts local economies. Chemical Manufacturing Opportunity If we are serious about keeping reliable supply chains in the future then we need to be thinking about building new facilities to strengthen our national security when it comes to manufacturing. Chemical manufacturers need to begin building new facilities closer to the source rather than transport these same materials by rail, truck or pipeline thousands of miles away to the Gulf. Facilities like the Beaverton cracking facility are complete but we have a long way to go before Eastern Ohio and Western Pennsylvania becomes like Texas. That is why pipelines are already crisscrossing the Midwest but the Gulf of Mexico hurricane disasters show us how fragile the industry is by having so many facilities located in one vulnerable place. Industrialized Hemp When industrial hemp is widely used, there have to be new outlets created quickly where farmers can sell their harvests. Hemp has many uses in the manufacturing world; everything from construction materials like cinder block, fiber board, lumber, paper, and clothing, parts for cars such as door panels, dashboards and fabric for seats. Congress must create new avenues for investment that would attract new business to begin building the facilities to manufacture new products incorporating industrial hemp resulting in thousands of jobs right here at home. Hemp can be a pathway that helps restore nutrients in farmland with no added chemicals, clean up waterways and allow for a new generation of farmers to expand their own growth by broadening their product range. This is one crop that can help make our rural communities stronger in the long run.
Infrastructure impacts all of us everyday and it is the one area that we have allowed to deteriorate everyday for decades. Honesty and transparency are called for and it’s critically important we increase the public’s awareness and oversight over the caretakers of our public works. If citizens are being asked to pay more at the pump and see their monthly utility bills rise, then the taxpayer should expect improvements in their everyday lives when they travel, use water or want to go online. A Bank Owned by The People Wouldn’t it be great to be able to go to a bank that you own and be able to help finance your small business, buy your first home, or start a college fund for your kids? The Bank of North Dakota started as an agriculturally-focused bank but over the decades became engaged in economic development in major ways that helped People.
Public banks provide bond financing for municipalities to upgrade their wastewater treatment facilities, investment opportunities for industries designing the next generation of road surfaces and other mass transit for our communities across the country. All we need is honest leadership to make it happen. The federal government can match start-up funds by the states and would be a way for the government to give back to the local communities in need of financial assistance with their infrastructure problems. The Nation’s Roads The recently enacted $1.7 Trillion Infrastructure Program will go some way to restoring our Nation’s roadways and bridges and expand our digital grid, particularly in rural areas. However, much more needs to be done and that is why Build Back Better must be passed by Congress because America must not be the country of broken roads and collapsing bridges. Clean Water for All Clean and accessible water is as important as healthcare. Build Back Better helps by replacing old pipes made from lead and rebuilding water works in rural small areas to ensure People are drinking safe water and aren’t paying an arm and a leg every month to have it. Upgrading these facilities will also help clean up our public waterways, specifically the Lake Erie and the Ohio River watersheds. National Infrastructure Bank Our nation’s spending on infrastructure has fallen to its lowest level in 70 years, to 2.5% of our nation’s GDP. That means many of our communities don't have the ability to fix their roads, bridges and water infrastructure just to name a few. As our climate changes with more flooding, heat waves and severe weather our electrical grids will need investment in addition to our local economic needs. More People are working from home, kids are learning from home and our communities need for connectivity is growing. That growth means we need reliable and widespread access to internet services like broadband. All of these need support, which is where the NIB comes in. What Are The Costs?
How Does It Benefit Us?
Citizens United has made us Disunited It’s no wonder the average voting individual in the U.S. feels their vote doesn’t matter anymore. Huge amounts of money are spent by corporate PACs that make sure nothing ever changes for People. With dark money, our communities are more divided than ever. People have a simple right to see who is donating to our leaders in government. The good news is that the times are finally changing and across the country where small donors are rising up and getting their political voice heard. My campaign will not accept corporate PAC money ever. Our campaign will accept Union donations because Unions represent average hard working Americans who need to get their voices heard. Public Financed Campaigns It’s simple. Shining a light on our campaigns will make the politicians earn the trust they’ve lost with voters back. Communities and People shouldn't have to worry about whether their leaders are bought and paid for by the highest bidders. As your leader in Congress, I will introduce legislation to have all campaigns for Congress, including the Presidential, to be publicly financed with no outside dark money going directly into a candidate’s campaign account. It is one of many common sense solutions to the corruption we see in Washington and its long past due. Terms and Term Limits Our campaign favors term limits for the House and Senate as a way of limiting money in politics. Actually, in the case of the House, it might be better to increase the term of the Representative from two to four years and the reason being is that this gives the Representative more time to legislate and truly represent the People without having to fundraise all the time. Incumbents in Congress already have an unfair advantage against challengers due to the perks of their office, and with their sizable war chests it makes them nearly impossible to unseat. Ban Politicians in Stock Trading All stock trading by Members of Congress and their staff must come to an end. Working in Congress means getting inside information before anyone else and is another example of money influencing our politics if voting is done simply for self-dealing purposes. Stock trading by Members of Congress and their staff is not free-market capitalism but rather free market corruption. Public service is just that, a call to service for those willing to sacrifice for the greater good of all, not for the few. Folks, for me it comes down to trust. Can we trust that the politicians aren’t making money at our expense? I certainly don’t trust them and I think a majority of Americans would agree with me. I believe voters must have trust in their elected leaders. The STOCK Act passed in 2012 by President Obama was a nice bipartisan start, but it didn’t go far enough to earn the public’s trust ten years later. That is why I will support any effort to make sure that our leaders and those closest to them can’t make money by having the privilege of working in government.
I strongly feel that protecting our freedoms under The Constitution is a duty to be shared by every citizen. Democracy requires caution on the part of its citizens to make sure their rights are not infringed upon. The Framers made sure our rights were protected when they wrote The Constitution and set it up so a minority could not use their will over a majority without consent nor could a majority attempt to remove those rights under it. Our American right to privacy, pursuing life with liberty and defending person and property are sacred to be sure, but must be taken in context. I believe in a living Constitution that is able to change with the times, protects our rights and promotes the interests of the many, not the few. Guns & Defense It is important for citizens and their leaders to agree on a path forward that protects everyone's right to defend themselves, their family and their personal property. But it is equally as important that citizens enjoy the freedom of movement within their own home, community and state without fear of gun violence at their local supermarket, theaters, and schools. Gun safety should be improved without infringing on anyone's constitutional rights as statistics prove more people die from gun-related suicide than from mass shootings. Supporting common sense legislation promoting gun safety and storage is a must for my campaign. Red flag laws work when they make sure due process for those who may be a danger to themselves and others. My campaign does not believe in taking away guns without proper due process and adhering to the 4th Amendment.
Healthcare is the one issue that will bring our communities together for the better in the long run. It’s foremost on the minds of parents with kids in need, the workers who are unsure whether they’ll be covered and local communities wondering how they’ll fill a need. This is why healthcare is so important to my fight for our community. Lower Medicare Eligibility Medicare eligibility needs to begin coming down in five-year increments immediately. Medicare is a very successful program for our citizens and ranks as one of the world’s best for elder care. Now, we must begin making it available to more of our citizens. Ohio’s Medicaid Expansion I support continued Medicaid Expansion with the Affordable Care Act that has helped hundreds of thousands of People across Ohio achieve stable, good health care, particularly for those living in rural areas and those with disabilities. We need to make Medicaid better for the disabled such as increasing the number of direct service providers, their pay and training. Helping to reduce Ohio’s high infant mortality rate with Medicaid programs is seen by everyone as badly needed. Local Hospitals I fully support all efforts by our states to help our community hospitals thrive and be that health-center partner so many small communities desperately need. With the opioid epidemic stretching our local resources, we must have an all-around support structure to ensure communities can handle this crisis, as well as the other issues hurting our communities. Mental Health & Well Being We need to reinvest again in state-owned psychiatric facilities as a means to a rise in mental health issues affecting so many of our communities. With increased awareness, mental health is extremely critical now more than ever so we must be prepared for even more patients, more expertise and more care for People. Medical Marijuana I am in favor of strengthening medical marijuana early endeavors in terms of availability, pricing and regulation. According to studies, the rate of opiate use is lower in states where medical marijuana laws have been passed. Medical marijuana may prove beneficial in dealing with opiate addiction but much more research needs to be done as well. As data is gathered from more than 30 states who have legalized medical and/or recreational marijuana, we will better assess data such as the effect having more medical marijuana dispensaries has on opioid use.
A Symptom of a Bigger Problem The opioid crisis is directly related to politicians' neglect for our communities that saw their jobs move away with nothing coming back to fill the void. Social services were cut back by states and soon once lively towns turned deadly overnight as addiction and despair took over. There’s no single answer to this crisis we face, but we can help reverse the damage done to our towns and families.
Risked the Ultimate Our Country values the Brave who go into the service of the United States and we respect those who gave the ultimate sacrifice in defending our great country. We must never stop working to improve the care we provide for our Veterans and this care should never be decided on politics. As your Congressman, I’ll take seriously the responsibility of having to ask our kids, fathers, mothers, brothers and sisters in our Armed Forces to risk their lives in defending our Country, and I will work tirelessly to make sure they receive the best care and respect after their duty is done. The VA Over 130 years ago the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs opened its doors to our nation’s veterans. The VA health care system employs nearly 370,000 health care professionals. The VA operates 171 medical centers and approximately 1,200 community-based clinics It provides care to 9 million veterans, their spouses and families with medical, dental and vision care. Like all large bureaucracies there comes a time when the system breaks down due to inefficiency and ineptness. The VA went through a bad period not long ago when huge backlogs, falsification of records and just bad care in general led to Congress to act. The task at hand is for Congress to keep acting, reform the VA so as to attract top health care professionals and recruit the thousands it badly needs to fill vacancies around the country. What Congress Can Do Right now Congress can improve and expand VA care. There is The Veterans Dental Care Eligibility Expansion and Enhancement Act of 2021 that delivers dental care for all veterans through the VA and gets rid of barriers to health care for veterans. In March, the House passed, despite Republican opposition, The Honoring our PACT Act of 2021 that expands health care to veterans exposed to toxins. The COST of War Act increases disability compensation and benefits for veterans. Finally, The Healthcare for Burn Pit Veterans Act gives Post-9/11 combat veterans, including those suffering from conditions caused by toxic exposures, such as burn pits, access to VA health care. Congress needs to act on these bills. Making the VA Work The VA struggles to fill medical center director positions as pay is capped and is not competitive with the private sector. Low pay and the federal bureaucracy do not appeal to most health care workers. Much more has to be done to address this important problem affecting our veterans and their families. VA Loans The VA program for homebuyers should work better for our vets. As a Realtor, I have worked with a number of Veterans helping them find their dream home using their VA benefits. However, many Veterans feel frustrated because of the strict conditions attached to the loan where the home has to be in nearly perfect shape. No VA financing is available for fixer-uppers. This leads many Veterans out of the market to buy the right home for them as VA financing often gets beat out by buyers using Conventional or FHA loans. Expanding VA financing and amending certain restrictions will help the marketplace for Veterans and will be of great benefit to them and their families.[2] |
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| —Craig Swartz's campaign website (2022)[3] | ||
2020
Candidate Conversations
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Craig Swartz completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2020. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Swartz's responses. Candidates are asked three required questions for this survey, but they may answer additional optional questions as well.
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In the early part of my adult life, I lived and worked on three different continents and traveled throughout Europe and the Middle East. During the last twenty years, I have lived and worked in Northwest Ohio performing a multitude of different tasks; including restaurant ownership, warehousing, truck driving, substitute teaching, selling credit card processing, insurance and real estate.
I am as tired as anyone else about the current state of politics and my aim is to respectfully submit an alternative to the status quo that will capture the imagination of my fellow Ohioans and get this state moving again toward the future.- My campaign ideas are original and are designed to re-engage voters in the political process.
- We have wasted forty years or more recycling old ideas that haven't worked. Time to try something new.
- Voters feel powerless nowadays so it is time we empower them to get active again in local community issues, including Ohio at large.
People feel powerless when confronted with the barrage of bad news in the media every day. Over time they disengage from the whole process and that is what hurts us more than anything; when people shut down and stop caring. This man just wanted to be heard and he was appreciative he found a kindred spirit.
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.
Campaign finance summary
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See also
2024 Elections
External links
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Candidate Ohio House of Representatives District 87 |
Personal |
Footnotes
- ↑ Information submitted to Ballotpedia through the Candidate Connection survey on February 27, 2020
- ↑ Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
- ↑ Swartz For Congress, “Issues,” accessed November 3, 2022
