Lesley Verbus
Lesley Verbus (Democratic Party) ran for election to the Ohio House of Representatives to represent District 86. She lost in the general election on November 5, 2024.
Verbus completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2024. Click here to read the survey answers.
Biography
Lesley Verbus was born in Miami, Florida. She earned a high school diploma from the Our Lady of Lourdes Academy, and a bachelor's degree from the University of Dayton in 2005. Her career experience includes working as a business owner.[1]
Elections
2024
See also: Ohio House of Representatives elections, 2024
General election
General election for Ohio House of Representatives District 86
Incumbent Tracy Richardson defeated Lesley Verbus in the general election for Ohio House of Representatives District 86 on November 5, 2024.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ |  | Tracy Richardson (R) | 68.9 | 37,571 |
 | Lesley Verbus (D)  | 31.1 | 16,927 | |
| Total votes: 54,498 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
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Democratic primary election
Democratic primary for Ohio House of Representatives District 86
Lesley Verbus advanced from the Democratic primary for Ohio House of Representatives District 86 on March 19, 2024.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Lesley Verbus | 100.0 | 2,530 |
| Total votes: 2,530 | |||
| = 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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Republican primary election
Republican primary for Ohio House of Representatives District 86
Incumbent Tracy Richardson defeated Wezlynn Davis in the Republican primary for Ohio House of Representatives District 86 on March 19, 2024.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Tracy Richardson | 59.8 | 8,091 |
 | Wezlynn Davis | 40.2 | 5,443 | |
| Total votes: 13,534 | |||
| = 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 finance
Endorsements
To view Verbus's endorsements as published by their campaign, click here. Ballotpedia did not identify endorsements for Verbus in this election.
Campaign themes
2024
Ballotpedia survey responses
See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection
Lesley Verbus completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2024. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Verbus' responses. Candidates are asked three required questions for this survey, but they may answer additional optional questions as well.
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I am an analyst with a Physics degree and Computer Science concentration from the University of Dayton. My focus is on data-driven improvements and business analytics. I have put these skills to use working for notable companies like Goodyear, Scotts Miracle-Gro, and UnitedHealth Group. I own and operate Linear 1 Technologies, an IT managed services and telecommunications company, out of Dublin, Ohio. I have a unique ability to troubleshoot, ask the right questions, and come to creative solutions that minimize risk. Currently, I am on the City of Marysville’s Planning Commission, the Union County Joint Recreation District board, and the executive board of Main Street Marysville - a Heritage Ohio program to advance economic management, public participation, and historic preservation and beautification of Ohio’s historic uptowns. I spent 8 years as a Sunday school teacher (Catholic catechist) and Cub Scout leader. I sit on my HOA along and various steering and advisory committees across Marysville and Union County. I will bring this love of community to work as your representative.
I will focus my votes and decisions on the best outcome for the greater good and not a personal agenda. It is time for the return of compassion and humanity in politics. It’s time for strong community candidates like me who have a history of serving their community.- Ohio schools struggle with inequitable funding. This leads to a heavy dependence on local property taxes and creates disparities between wealthy and less affluent districts, affecting education quality. Diverting funds to private schools through vouchers undermines the financial stability of public schools; this needs to be changed.
Teachers are the best resource for developing and implementing curriculums. Legislators should not restrict curriculum or materials. An uncensored education allows critical thinking, and the development of students’ own diverse perspectives.
Addressing college affordability and making investments into vocational programs will also give every Ohioan an opportunity to create sustaining careers. - My healthcare policy prioritizes individual freedom to make personal medical decisions without government interference. From family planning to body decisions, these choices should be between individuals and their doctors. I will actively oppose any government overreach that threatens this autonomy. Additionally, the rising cost of health insurance is unsustainable. Many Ohioans struggle to pay for health insurance premiums, let alone deductibles and non-covered health costs. The market needs to be restructured to provide more affordable access to care. Fully funding programs like Medicare, Medicaid, and CHIP is essential to ensure Ohioans don’t have to choose between necessary medical care and basic needs.
- Democracy is being threatened. My district and the state voted in favor of women’s constitutional reproductive rights. Our current representative has attested that she will ensure that women’s rights legislation will not pass. I WON’T allow attacks on the will of the people. I WILL protect Ohioans’ interests. Gerrymandering and voter suppression present a significant threat to fair representation. Gerrymandering is a form of discrimination by distorting boundaries to favor specific groups, undermining democratic principles. Barriers to voting affect poor and minority voters disproportionately. I support citizen drawn districts, flexibility in voting options, and automatic voter registration. I will ensure that democracy stays protected.
Small businesses are responsible for almost half of all Ohio jobs. I will not waiver in my support of small businesses by advocating for continued support in the way of reduced operating burdens, increased financial resources, and the ability to offer affordable healthcare to their employees.
Elected officials must act with honesty, transparency, and fairness. Being accountable to constituents and upholding ethical standards is essential for trust and credibility. This means they must actively listen to the concerns and needs of their community, ensuring that their decisions reflect the people they serve.
A deep understanding of the diverse backgrounds and challenges people face allows officials to make policies that address real needs and promote equity. In the absence of firsthand knowledge, officials should strive to connect with various communities within their district to truly comprehend all their constituents’ needs. Officials should strive to create policies that include and benefit all groups, avoiding favoritism and ensuring all voices are heard.
Officials are elected to act as a voice for their constituents, advocating for policies that reflect the community's values and addressing its concerns in local or state governance. Officials should champion causes important to their constituents, advocating at higher levels of government when necessary, and leading initiatives that improve the community's welfare.
Andrew was the most expensive natural disaster in U.S. history at the time in terms of insurance payouts for homes, vehicles, and businesses damaged by the storm. Additionally, it revealed that the state’s vulnerability to hurricanes had been seriously underestimated. Andrew was a severe eye opening experience that forced people, insurers, legislators, insurance regulators, and state governments to come to make changes to the way they prepared financially and physically for unprecedented natural disasters.
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
Note: The finance data shown here comes from the disclosures required of candidates and parties. Depending on the election or state, this may represent only a portion of all the funds spent on their behalf. Satellite spending groups may or may not have expended funds related to the candidate or politician on whose page you are reading this disclaimer. Campaign finance data from elections may be incomplete. For elections to federal offices, complete data can be found at the FEC website. Click here for more on federal campaign finance law and here for more on state campaign finance law.
See also
2024 Elections
External links
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Candidate Ohio House of Representatives District 86 |
Personal |
Footnotes
- ↑ Information submitted to Ballotpedia through the Candidate Connection survey on October 7, 2024
