Tom Pruss
Tom Pruss (Libertarian Party) ran for election to the U.S. House to represent Ohio's 9th Congressional District. He lost in the general election on November 5, 2024.
Pruss completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2024. Click here to read the survey answers.
Biography
Tom Pruss was born in Toledo, Ohio. He graduated from Woodward High School. He attended the University of Toledo. His career experience includes working as a business owner. He has been affiliated with the Northwest Ohio Polish Cultural Center and the Polish American Community of Toledo.[1]
Elections
2024
See also: Ohio's 9th Congressional District election, 2024
Ohio's 9th Congressional District election, 2024 (March 19 Republican primary)
Ohio's 9th Congressional District election, 2024 (March 19 Democratic primary)
General election
General election for U.S. House Ohio District 9
Incumbent Marcy Kaptur defeated Derek Merrin and Tom Pruss in the general election for U.S. House Ohio District 9 on November 5, 2024.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ |  | Marcy Kaptur (D) | 48.3 | 181,098 |
 | Derek Merrin (R)  | 47.6 | 178,716 | |
 | Tom Pruss (L) | 4.1 | 15,381 | |
| Total votes: 375,195 | |||
| = 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. | ||||
Democratic primary election
Democratic primary for U.S. House Ohio District 9
Incumbent Marcy Kaptur advanced from the Democratic primary for U.S. House Ohio District 9 on March 19, 2024.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Marcy Kaptur | 100.0 | 38,398 |
| Total votes: 38,398 | |||
| = 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. | ||||
Republican primary election
Republican primary for U.S. House Ohio District 9
Derek Merrin defeated Craig Riedel and Steve Lankenau in the Republican primary for U.S. House Ohio District 9 on March 19, 2024.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Derek Merrin | 52.5 | 27,632 |
 | Craig Riedel | 34.3 | 18,072 | |
| Steve Lankenau | 13.2 | 6,946 | ||
| Total votes: 52,650 | |||
| = 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
- Terry Smith (R)
- Daniel Wilczynski (R)
- J.R. Majewski (R) (Unofficially withdrew)
Endorsements
Ballotpedia did not identify endorsements for Pruss in this election.
Campaign themes
2024
Ballotpedia survey responses
See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection
Tom Pruss completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2024. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Pruss' responses. Candidates are asked three required questions for this survey, but they may answer additional optional questions as well.
| Collapse all
Worked in the printing industry since 1985 Current owner of NorthCoast Print Mail Marketing in Toledo since 2017 Current vice president of the Northwest Ohio Polish Cultural Center Past president of the Polish American Community of Toledo (PACT) Married Wife is Alicia Has one daughter Jillian, Purdue University Graduate. Son Joe started his Junior year at Butler University. Youngest son Jamison is a sophomore at Northview High School in Sylvania
Previous runs for office includes Toledo School Board and Lucas County Clerk of Courts- Government overspending and reckless money printing are driving up costs, hurting those most vulnerable. By cutting spending and balancing the budget, we can reduce inflation and build a stronger, more inclusive economy.
- Americans are facing an economy controlled by the government and special interests. To break this cycle of economic crises, we must reduce government interference and allow individuals to decide how to spend their money, fostering true innovation.
- Our immigration system is outdated and inefficient. It's time to move past partisan gridlock and streamline the process so immigrants can work and thrive in our communities. Immigrants built America, and they are essential to its future.
Accountability: Willingness to take responsibility for their decisions and actions, and to answer to the public.
Empathy: Understanding and caring about the needs, concerns, and perspectives of their constituents.
Leadership: The ability to inspire, motivate, and guide others while making difficult decisions.
Commitment to Public Service: Prioritizing the common good over personal interests or special groups.
Competence: Deep knowledge of policy, governance, and the issues they are responsible for.
Vision: A clear plan for the future that addresses both current challenges and long-term goals.
Adaptability: Being open to new ideas, feedback, and changing circumstances.
Transparency: Open communication and sharing information with the public to foster trust.
A Congress member must act as a voice for their constituents, a legislator, an overseer of government operations, and a steward of the nation’s budget and priorities. Their ultimate responsibility is to serve the public good, uphold the Constitution, and work toward policies that enhance the well-being of all Americans.
The U.S. House of Representatives is unique because of its structure as a more directly representative and majoritarian institution, its key role in initiating revenue and spending legislation, its strong leadership through the Speaker, and its capacity for more rapid turnover and responsiveness to public opinion.
I believe that the congress should be a true representation of the citizens that make up the district. The US Congress proposes, debates, enacts legislation that directly affects the citizens of the representative's district. The elected congressperson is there as a representative of the values and desires of the constituents. Whether they have previous experience or not, understanding why you were sent to congress shan't need be backed up by wallowing in politics.
Government Overreach and Expansion, National Debt and Fiscal Responsibility, Civil Liberties and Privacy, Criminal Justice and Overcriminalization, Healthcare and Market-Based Solutions, Foreign Policy and Military Intervention, Regulation of Technology and Free Markets, Immigration, Education Reform, Climate Change and Environmental Policy.
For Libertarians, compromise in policymaking is often a balancing act between pragmatism and principle. While many libertarians recognize that some degree of compromise may be necessary to achieve any tangible progress, others believe that holding firm to their principles is crucial for long-term success. Ultimately, the desirability of compromise often depends on the specific policy issue and the potential consequences of the compromise itself.
Here’s how I typically believe the U.S. House should use its investigative powers:
Holding Government Agencies Accountable, Preventing Government Overreach, Transparency and Oversight of the Executive Branch, Exposing and Limiting Cronyism and Special Interests, Investigating Corporate Welfare and Lobbyist Influence, Uncovering Special Interest Influence, Protecting Individual Rights, Police and Law Enforcement Accountability, Investigating Waste, Fraud, and Abuse in Government Programs, Limiting the Investigative Powers to Legitimate Purposes like Avoiding Political Witch Hunts.
House and Senate Committees on Foreign Affairs/Relations, Libertarians generally advocate for non-interventionist foreign policy, so serving on these committees would give me the opportunity to influence U.S. foreign relations, military intervention, and international agreements. I could push for reducing military involvement abroad, cutting foreign aid, and promoting diplomacy over military action.
House and Senate Budget Committees, fiscal responsibility is a core Libertarian value, and the Budget Committees oversee federal spending and budgetary matters. I would focus on reducing government spending, balancing the budget, addressing the national debt, and eliminating wasteful programs. These committees offer a platform to challenge excessive spending and promote limited government.
Financial transparency and accountability ensure that government remains a tool for the people, serving the public good and operating with integrity. Without them, democracy weakens, public trust erodes, and corruption flourishes.
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
Footnotes
- ↑ Information submitted to Ballotpedia through the Candidate Connection survey on September 14, 2024
