Vanessa Cummings
From Ballotpedia
This page was current at the end of the individual's last campaign covered by Ballotpedia. Please contact us with any updates.
Vanessa Cummings (Democratic Party) ran for election to the Ohio House of Representatives to represent District 47. She lost in the general election on November 5, 2024.
Cummings completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2024. Click here to read the survey answers.
Biography
Vanessa Cummings' career experience includes working as a minister. She earned a bachelor's degree from the University of Alabama in 1984 and a degree from Payne Theological Seminary in 2004.[1]
Cummings has been affiliated with League of Women Voters, National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, and African Methodist Episcopal Church.[1]
Elections
2024
See also: Ohio House of Representatives elections, 2024
General election
General election for Ohio House of Representatives District 47
Diane Mullins defeated Vanessa Cummings in the general election for Ohio House of Representatives District 47 on November 5, 2024.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ |  | Diane Mullins (R) | 61.6 | 29,643 |
 | Vanessa Cummings (D)  | 38.4 | 18,470 | |
| Total votes: 48,113 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
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Democratic primary election
Democratic primary for Ohio House of Representatives District 47
Vanessa Cummings advanced from the Democratic primary for Ohio House of Representatives District 47 on March 19, 2024.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Vanessa Cummings | 100.0 | 2,779 |
| Total votes: 2,779 | |||
| = 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 47
Diane Mullins defeated incumbent Sara Carruthers in the Republican primary for Ohio House of Representatives District 47 on March 19, 2024.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Diane Mullins | 53.2 | 5,413 |
 | Sara Carruthers | 46.8 | 4,768 | |
| Total votes: 10,181 | |||
| = 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
Ballotpedia did not identify endorsements for Cummings in this election.
Campaign themes
2024
Ballotpedia survey responses
See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection
Vanessa Cummings completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2024. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Cummings' 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 a daughter, sister, aunt, friend, church pastor, community servant and activist. I love family, sports, and community. I currently serve as the senior pastor at Payne Chapel AME Church, Hamilton. I am the Owner and Chief Consultant of Ms. V Consulting, LLC. I serve on the Butler County Mental Health and Addiction Recovery Services Board, am a member of the Oxford League of Women Voters, and the Hamilton Pastors Organization. I retired from public service after serving as Supervisor of Parking and Facility Access at Columbus State Community College, Assistant Director of Parking and Transportation Services at Miami University, and caseworker for the Butler County Children Services Board. Prior to that, I worked for the City of Tuscaloosa, Alabama as a police and fire dispatcher and 911 operator. I have established community organizations in the cities where I have pastored, including starting Pickaway County’s Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Community Observance, and the creation of Hardin County Talks (HCT) in Hardin County, which organized community programs, discussions, and candidate forums. HCT membership included the chairs of the Democratic and Republican parties. I am a graduate of Payne Theological Seminary with a Master of Divinity Degree, the University of Alabama where I earned my Bachelor of Science in Psychology, and I am a graduate of Talawanda High School in Oxford, Ohio. My purpose in life is to effect positive change.
- Transparency and representation at all levels of state government. I will represent the voices of the people, not politics. The people will have a representative who comes back to the community to listen to them and who will update them on what is going on at the state level and how it may impact them and their communities. I will work for the people, not for political gain.
- I support public education and will work to ensure it is not defunded. Our children want to learn the truth and not a politicized and biased story of our history. Allow educators and parents to determine curriculum, not politicians. I will work to keep educators and elected officials at the forefront of curriculum development, not political appointees. As a leader, I will work to ensure our children are well-educated and prepared for their future.
- Physical and mental health of all people, regardless of their gender identity, orientation, age, income, race, or party affiliation. All people must have autonomy over their bodies and medical and mental health providers must be allowed to do their jobs without fear or having to refer to the law for guidance on how to best provide care and honor their commitment to the Hippocratic Oath to provide all care necessary for their patients who are human beings, not tools for political issues or commodities.
Voting rights, protecting the funding of public education, the preservation of teaching facts (not political spin) in education, body autonomy, equity for all people, adequate mental health and substance use services and providers, and assuring the local communities we represent receive the support they need from the state. Policies that provide protections and care for all citizens, especially the vulnerable whose voices may not be heard.
Elected officials should be honest, compassionate, listeners, and servants of the people. They must recognize that their position is NOT about them, it is about the people they represent, regardless of political party, age, gender, gender identity, amount of funds contributed to their campaign, religious beliefs, educational level, or any other way we may divide, rather than unite the people. Elected officials should have a history of community service with a proven track record of service -- doing the hard work of speaking up, showing up, stating facts, and empowering the people. They should have relationships with the people in the community. They should be able to disagree without being disagreeable and must recognize that they should always be learning. Elected officials do not know everything there is to know and must remember, they are elected to represent the voices of the people, not ignore the people and make decisions for them.
I am a community activist who believes in speaking up and standing up for all people. I may not agree with everyone, however, I will represent all views and perspectives. I am passionate about serving the people and educating voters.
The core responsibilities are to draft and support legislation that will address and meet the needs of the communities they represent as well as the betterment of all residents in the state. They must remove barriers that prevent people from receiving services based on any form of discrimination. They must work to resolve issues of injustice and assure that every resident has fair and equal access to services, education, medical care, safety, and community support.
My legacy should be that I made a difference and effected positive change for the betterment of my community and all people.
Discrimination and lack of equity. All of my struggles have made me who I am.
The governor and legislature should work together to address the needs of the people in Ohio. They may not always agree, which is okay. However, one should not dictate how the other is “obligated” to vote. We need a system of checks and balances so their must be some separation to assure that one party or philosophy is not controlling everything done, without regard for other voices or opinions.
Lack of citizens’ voices being represented in government. Suppose the citizens’ voices are not represented. The next 10 years will likely result in more discrimination, a lack of mental health and substance use services, and a dying public education system. Our children may not receive the quality education they deserve, educators may not be allowed to teach the truth, and higher education may be controlled by politicians instead of qualified educators. Body autonomy and women’s healthcare will be determined by politicians instead of medical professionals and families. Children will be silenced and care removed due to their gender identity or other medical issues. I am running to ensure that the next decade looks positive. Our children will receive a quality public education, services will be available to meet the mental and physical needs of ALL people, and justice and equity will exist for all people.
It is beneficial but not necessary. One cannot gain experience without the opportunity to serve. Career politicians often lose focus of their purpose. They were elected to serve the people, not build a career in office without accountability.
Yes. You must be able to work with others which requires the ability to form relationships. I have worked with people across party lines in communities because I am working to serve the needs of the people, not a party or politics.
I am focused on running for this office. I am not running as a stepping stone to another office.
A woman shared a story regarding how her medical care was impacted because she was a women presenting with certain symptoms. It was clear to her that the medical professionals were concerned about whether they could legally provide care for her, even though she knew she was not pregnant. They were unsure due to her symptoms. Thankfully, she ultimately received the care she needed. This is why bodily autonomy must be permitted and not legislated.
The legislature should oversee it to ensure abuse of power does not occur. However, in emergencies, the use of those powers must be permitted. The rationale for decisions must be articulated and reviewed.
Ohio-Western VA AFSCME Retiree Chapter 1184
Butler County Democratic Party
Blue Ohio
Teamsters Ohio D.R.I.V.E. (The political voice of the Teamsters)
Ohio Education Association
Matriots
Miami College Dems
The Democratic Women’s Club of Southwest Ohio PAC
Mental Health Now candidate Designation
Criminal Justice; Higher Education; Primary and Secondary Education; Public Health Policy; Families and Aging; Behavioral Health.
I support financial transparency and government accountability. That is one of the reasons I am running. Ohioans voted to get rid of gerrymandered (politically drawn) districts for state and federal elections. However, our legislators did the opposite and we have more biased districts than we had before 2020. The people of Ohio voted to amend the Ohio Constitution to allow abortions and the legislators are trying to find a way to limit how the change is implemented. They tied in gender affirming care for youth and tied it in with sports to cloud the issue. These are the types of behaviors that are not accountable and lack transparency. Citizens need representatives who speak plain language not political spin; who speak truth to power instead of lies and disinformation. Citizens have a right to know how their tax dollars are being spent.
I support the current system which provides citizens the right and opportunity to place issues on the ballot. I do not support political influence in writing the ballot language. Citizens are working for fairness and the language presented must not be biased or misleading to persuade voters one way or another. Language must be clear, concise, and written at a level that all citizens can read and understand.
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
Current members of the Ohio House of Representatives
Leadership
Speaker of the House:Jason Stephens
Majority Leader:Marilyn John
Minority Leader:Dani Isaacsohn
Representatives
District 1
District 2
Latyna Humphrey (D)
District 3
Ismail Mohamed (D)
District 4
District 5
District 6
District 7
Allison Russo (D)
District 8
Anita Somani (D)
District 9
Munira Abdullahi (D)
District 10
Mark Sigrist (D)
District 11
Crystal Lett (D)
District 12
Brian Stewart (R)
District 13
Tristan Rader (D)
District 14
Sean Brennan (D)
District 15
Chris Glassburn (D)
District 16
District 17
Mike Dovilla (R)
District 18
Juanita Brent (D)
District 19
Phil Robinson (D)
District 20
District 21
Eric Synenberg (D)
District 22
Darnell Brewer (D)
District 23
Dan Troy (D)
District 24
Dani Isaacsohn (D)
District 25
Cecil Thomas (D)
District 26
District 27
Rachel Baker (D)
District 28
Karen Brownlee (D)
District 29
Cindy Abrams (R)
District 30
Mike Odioso (R)
District 31
Bill Roemer (R)
District 32
Jack Daniels (R)
District 33
Veronica Sims (D)
District 34
Derrick Hall (D)
District 35
Steve Demetriou (R)
District 36
Andrea White (R)
District 37
Tom Young (R)
District 38
Desiree Tims (D)
District 39
Phil Plummer (R)
District 40
Rodney Creech (R)
District 41
Erika White (D)
District 42
Elgin Rogers (D)
District 43
Michele Grim (D)
District 44
Josh Williams (R)
District 45
Jennifer Gross (R)
District 46
Thomas Hall (R)
District 47
Diane Mullins (R)
District 48
Scott Oelslager (R)
District 49
Jim Thomas (R)
District 50
Matthew Kishman (R)
District 51
Jodi Salvo (R)
District 52
Gayle Manning (R)
District 53
Joe Miller (D)
District 54
Kellie Deeter (R)
District 55
Michelle Teska (R)
District 56
Adam Mathews (R)
District 57
Jamie Callender (R)
District 58
Lauren McNally (D)
District 59
Tex Fischer (R)
District 60
Brian Lorenz (R)
District 61
Beth Lear (R)
District 62
Jean Schmidt (R)
District 63
Adam Bird (R)
District 64
Nick Santucci (R)
District 65
David Thomas (R)
District 66
Sharon Ray (R)
District 67
Melanie Miller (R)
District 68
District 69
Kevin Miller (R)
District 70
Brian Lampton (R)
District 71
Levi Dean (R)
District 72
Heidi Workman (R)
District 73
Jeff LaRe (R)
District 74
Bernard Willis (R)
District 75
Haraz Ghanbari (R)
District 76
Marilyn John (R)
District 77
Meredith Craig (R)
District 78
Matt Huffman (R)
District 79
District 80
Johnathan Newman (R)
District 81
James Hoops (R)
District 82
Roy Klopfenstein (R)
District 83
Ty Mathews (R)
District 84
Angela King (R)
District 85
Tim Barhorst (R)
District 86
Tracy Richardson (R)
District 87
Riordan McClain (R)
District 88
Gary Click (R)
District 89
D.J. Swearingen (R)
District 90
Justin Pizzulli (R)
District 91
Bob Peterson (R)
District 92
Mark Johnson (R)
District 93
Jason Stephens (R)
District 94
Kevin Ritter (R)
District 95
Ty Moore (R)
District 96
Ron Ferguson (R)
District 97
Adam Holmes (R)
District 98
Mark Hiner (R)
District 99
Sarah Fowler (R)
Republican Party (65)
Democratic Party (34)
