Introduction: The Wood County Green Party is one of the most active Green Party organizations in Ohio. We have, for many years now, been a consistent voice in Wood County politics, having run several candidates for City Council and taking principled stands on issues like opposing Bowling Green's penalties on rooftop solar panels, pushing for a plastic bag ban, supporting bike lanes, and fighting for tenants' rights.

As all Green Parties do, we follow the Party's Ten Key Values which are summarized in the Four Pillars: Ecological Wisdom, Grassroots Democracy, Social Justice, and Non-Violence. These are the Values we applied when creating this Voters' Guide. Greens have been accused both of being just a branch of the Democratic Party and tools of the Republicans. We think you'll agree that the perspective presented in this guide is truly independent of both those Parties and represents a view based on values and not politics.

Although we do not have any candidates running in this election, we encourage people to vote and participate in the democratic process. Our next campaign is to elect a Green to the office of Mayor in Bowling Green in 2023. A Green Mayor will appoint members of the Municipal Utility Board who will eliminate BG's rooftop solar penalties and get the City out of the ruinous contract it has with the Prairie State coal plant in Illinois that currently supplies 60% of the City's electricity.

If you wish to help in that effort, or if you want more information about the Wood County Greens, or if you have any questions or comments on this Guide, you can contact us at:

Wood County Green Party, PO Box 969, Bowling Green, OH, 43402, or email joe.demare@woodcountyohgreenparty.org or call 419-973-5841.

We hope you find this guide useful.

STATE ISSUES

State Issue 1) A constitutional amendment that would require courts to consider public safety when setting bail.

Wood County Green Party urges "NO" vote.

This, at first, seems like a common sense proposal, and it was prompted by the tragic murder of a little girl. However, judges already have the ability to deny bail completely for defendants who pose a risk to public safety or who are likely to flee. Using bail amounts to keep dangerous defendants behind bars only acts as a "filter" to ensure that dangerous people with access to more money will be able to make bail, while poorer defendants will have to stay in jail. The way our current bail system works already discriminates against poor defendants and needs reform. This bill would worsen that discrimination. Judges need to be more aggressive in denying bail to dangerous defendants, not in making bail unaffordable for poorer defendants.

State Issue 2) Resolution prohibiting local government from allowing non-electors to vote.

Wood County Green Party urges a "NO" vote.

Yellow Springs, Ohio and several other municipalities around the country have passed laws allowing noncitizens to vote in local elections. The argument in favor of allowing them to do so is that many of these people are essential parts of the community, working, supporting homes and families. Some have lived in the United States for many years and intend to live out their lives here. These people currently have no say in who governs them or how they are governed.

The argument for passing this amendment to the Ohio constitution is that allowing noncitizens to vote is unfair to those who have gone through the long, arduous process of becoming full citizens, and that only those who are citizens either through birth or application have earned the right to vote.

One of the Green Party's Ten Key Values is Grassroots Democracy. Currently, there are millions of people living here in America with no say or representation in the democratic process. We cannot be a true Democracy if there are millions excluded from voting. Local ordinances, like the one passed by Yellow Springs, have been used historically to allow noncitizens to vote. Some municipalities also used local ordinances to allow women to vote, before the universal suffarage movement was successful. The fact that it is so difficult to obtain citizenship must change. This Resolution changes the language in the state constitution from saying that "All" citizens have a right to vote to "Only" citizens have a right to vote. Using the legislative process to specifically exclude people from participating in our government violates the Green Party Value of Grassroots Democracy.

TAX LEVIES

The Wood County Green Party Urges "YES" votes.

There are a number of levies on local ballots in Wood County, covering a wide variety of issues and services from roads to fire fighting to schools. Wood County Green Party supports the efforts of local government to maintain the County's high standards of service.

Pct 400 Village Pub Proposal to sell liquor on Sundays.

Wood County Green Party takes no position on this issue.

STATE WIDE CANDIDATES

While the Wood County Green Party does not generally endorse candidates from other Parties, there are candidates we definitely oppose.

Governor

Wood County Green Party urges you, DO NOT VOTE FOR MIKE DeWINE.

The incumbent Governor, Mike DeWine, has repeatedly demonstrated that he is not fit for the office. One of the most egregious acts of his administration was the passage of HB6. This law threw Ohio's energy policy back to the 1950's. It has cost ratepayers hundreds of millions of dollars and returned nothing but pollution. It was pushed through as a result of bribery and kickbacks, and Governor DeWine was intimately involved with the passage of the bill, even as bribes were being negotiated. This alone should disqualify him from public office. He clearly works for the utility companies, not the people of Ohio. But the other issue that shows he is unfit for public office was his despicable behavior surrounding redistricting. By purposely blocking any attempts to draw fair districts, and by continuing gerrymandering, he has proven himself to be an enemy of Democracy.

Nan Whaley, the Democratic candidate for Governor, is the Mayor of Dayton. She has vowed to repeal HB6. Her other platform and issue statements on topics such as abortion rights, the environment, and social justice are broadly aligned with Green Party goals.

Tim Grady is one of four write-in candidates for Governor. His stated purpose in running is to have fun, and he models himself after the Star Trek DS9 character, Garak.

Renae Turner is an apparently irrational write-in candidate for Governor. She declared herself Governor in 2020 and held her own swearing in ceremony. An anti-vaxxer and rabid Republican, she seems divorced from reality.

Marshall Usher is an extreme right-wing conservative who opposes abortion rights, vaccines, and Mike DeWine. He says he is running because DeWine is corrupt. His website offers advertising sponsorships.

Craig Patton is also on the ballot as a write-in, but we were unable to find any information on him.

Attorney General

The Wood County Green Party takes no position on this race.

Jeffrey Crossman is the Democrat in this race. He pledges to take on corruption, and draws on his experience as a prosecuter and legislator.

Dave Yost is the incumbent Republican. He vigorously pursued the HB6 case and has recently held Promedica to its financial agreement with University of Toledo.

AUDITOR

Wood County Green Party urges you; DO NOT VOTE FOR KEITH FABER.

Keith Faber is the incumbent Republican. Since taking office in 2019, he has pursued 85 fraud convictions and recovered approximately $15,000,000. In July, the office received top honors from the Government Finance Office Association. However, as a member of the bipartisan redistricting commission, he has actively blocked any attempts to redistrict Ohio in a fair way. He has demonstrated a callous disregard for the will of Ohioans who want fair districts, and has put loyalty to the Republican party over his duty as Auditor.

Taylor Sappington is the Democrat candidate. He currently serves as City Auditor for Nelsonville, Ohio. He is running on an anti-corruption platform. When he took office he discovered and led prosecution of theft and fraud in the City. Nelsonville had been losing money, but now has a $1,000,000 surplus.

Secretary of State

The Wood County Green Party urges you; DO NOT VOTE FOR FRANK LaROSE.

Like the other Republican members of the bipartisan redistricting commision, Frank LaRose has acted in bad faith, blocking every attempt to create fair districts in Ohio. Moreover, in his role as Secretary of State, he has also pursued aggressive purges of the voter rolls. These purges are designed to disempower minority voters and Democrats. It's estimated that as many as 20% of those he purged were actually active voters who ended up having to cast provisional ballots in the 2020 election. Those ballots usually are not counted unless there's a close election where they could change the outcome. This skews the vote totals. A Secretary of State should ensure that every vote is counted and that everyone who is eligible should have their vote counted. He has failed in this responsibility

Chelsea Clark, Democrat, is running because she says our "Democracy is under attack." She has vowed to stop voter purges and expand voting opportunities by instituting things like same day registration and expanded early voting. She brings experience as an entrepeneur, city councilwoman, and creator of non-profit organizations and projects that encourage math and science education.

Treasurer

The Wood County Green Party urges you; DO NOT VOTE FOR ROBERT SPRAGUE

The Republican incumbent, Robert Sprague, has made his conservative brand of Christianity the biggest part of his campaign. A Treasurer should be a servant to ALL Ohioans, not just conservative Christians. He is opposed to abortion rights, and wants to eliminate regulations that protect consumers. He puts "Faith" first in his list of priorities, actually appearing in religious robes in his campaign video. But, a Treasurer must not have "faith" in the budgets and politicians he oversees; he should rely solely on the facts and the numbers.

Scott Schertzer, the Democrat, has been Mayor of Marion Ohio for the past 14 years. Prior to that, he was a City Councilman. He promises to bring "small town values" to Columbus.

FEDERAL ELECTIONS

United States Senate

The Wood County Green Party urges you; DO NOT VOTE FOR JD VANCE!

JD Vance is the Republican candidate for Senate. Famous for publicly kissing up to Donald Trump, his positions on most issues are exactly the opposite of the Green Party and most Ohioans. He wants: a nationwide ban on abortion; increased dependence on fossil fuels; to overturn elections; and a host of other evil things. Beware the wealthy man who promises to protect you from the wealthy. He will sell you out, every time. He is backed by the billionaire class, including billionaire Peter Theil who gave him $10 million in the primary election alone. Billionaires already own enough congresspeople. Vance represents the worst aspects of modern Republican culture. Voting for him is voting for the decline of America.

Tim Ryan is the Democrat candidate. He has served in the U.S. House of Representatives since 2013. He advocates a number of policies that align with the Greens such as: raising the minimum wage; expanding medicare; creating a public option for health insurance; and protectionist trade policies that will boost the US wind and solar production. His website has more detailed information on his positions than any other candidate we researched.

John Cheng is one of four write-in candidates. His campaign is focused on ending the two party system.

Matthew Esh is a write-in candidate. We were unable to find any information on this candidate.

Shane Hoffman is a write-in candidate representing the American Solidarity Party. He wants to outlaw abortion, but combine that with more liberal social policies such as increased minimum wage and paid maternity leave.

Stephen Faris describes himself as a "single issue" candidate. That issue is abortion. He wants it to be abolished completely.

US Congress 5th District

Wood County Green Party urges you; DO NOT VOTE FOR BOB LATTA!!

Bob Latta, the incumbent Republican, has proven himself to be absolutely loyal to Donald Trump and a traitor to the United States of America. He scores an F from the Republican Accountability Project, endorsing the January 6 insurrection by signing the Texas amicus brief. From votes against the environment to voting for tax cuts for the ultra wealthy, Latta consistently opposes Green values including women's rights and basic decency.

Craig Swartz is the Democrat running for this office. He has had many careers, including international finance, truck driving, running a restaurant, and others. He has traveled extensively, and worked abroad. He wants to increase renewables from 10% to 20%, but also belives in carbon sequestration and capture, a failed technology. He advocates a methane based hydrogen economy.

US Congress 9th District

Wood County Green Party urges you; DO NOT VOTE FOR J.R. MAJEWSKI.

J.R. Majewski is a knock off of Donald Trump. He has been outed by AP as having lied about his military service in Afghanistan, his response to the allegations was to say that his missions were "classified." He brags about his work in the nuclear industry, particularly his role in replacing the reactor head on the Davis-Besse power plant in 2003. That replacement failed, because the replacement was made of exactly the same faulty materials as the first head which developed the famous "hole in the head." It almost caused a meltdown that would have wiped out NW Ohio. His replacement had to be redone with a French built reactor head. He is completely unqualified to be a Representative, but touts his lack of knowledge and experience as a plus. His legislative positions are typical of conservative Republicans; tax cuts for the wealthy, outlawing abortion, eliminating all federal laws that protect the environment, eliminating social security and medicare, etc.. He glosses over these goals by saying he only wants to limit the federal government to the activities that are specifically outlined in the constitution. This would eliminate all social welfare, education, and research programs.

Marcy Kaptur is the Democrat running for this office. The longest serving woman in congress, she has enormous influence as a member of the House Appropriations Committee and chair of several subcommittees. She opposed nuclear power when Davis-Besse nearly melted down which would have destroyed her district, but has since reversed her position. She opposed the ACA, pushing instead for universal single payer healthcare until Obama organized labor protests against her, causing her to reverse her position. Kaptur's website lists many legislative priorities such as agriculture, campaign finance reform, energy, and the environment. She is a fairly typical corporate Democrat.

6th District Ohio Court of Appeals

Republican Christine Mayle is running unopposed for one of the two Court of Appeals seats.

Judge Ohio Court of Appeals

Wood County Green Party takes no position on this race.

Note: Apparently, Mark Pietrykowski, the incumbent Democrat who currently holds this seat, dropped out in June for "personal and family" reasons, after winning the Democratic Party primary.

Tom Puffenberger is the Democrat running for Court of Appeals. He is a native of NW Ohio and currently serves as the City Attorney for Toledo. He has also worked in private practice, as a Public Defender, an Assistant Prosecutor, and as a Staff Attorney at the 6th District Court of Appeals.

Charles E. Sulek is the Republican running for this seat on the bench. He is currently Assistant Prosecuting Attorney in the Civil Division of the Wood County Prosecutor’s Office. He has also worked as a Judicial Attorney for the Ohio Supreme Court and in private practice. His website says he like farmers' markets.

Ohio Supreme Court Justices

The Wood County Green Party uges you; DO NOT vote for ANY of the Republican candidates for the Ohio Supreme Court. In the court battles for gerrrymandering, ALL the Republican judges listed below have misused their judicial authority to advance gerrymandered redistricting maps that benefit their party while betraying the voters of Ohio who have twice passed referenda calling for fair districts.

Chief Justice of the Ohio Supreme Court

NOTE: The current Chief Justice of the Ohio Supreme Court, Maureen O'Connor, is being forced to retire because of age limits imposed by Ohio laws. Both the candidates to replace her are currently sitting Justices, so whichever one wins the Chief Justice seat, Governor Mike DeWine will be able to appoint a successor to fill the seat they currently hold. Justice O'Connor, though a Republican, has famously rejected the extremely gerrymandered voting district maps Republicans have designed. The Republican maps ensure that a majority of Ohio voters will not be represented by the Party of their choice in state or federal offices.

Please do NOT vote for Sharon Kennedy.

Sharon Kennedy (R)

Jennifer Brunner (D)

Justice of the Ohio Supreme Court

Please do NOT vote for Pat Fischer.

Pat Fischer (R)

Terri Jamison (D)

Justice of the Ohio Supreme Court

Please do NOT vote for Pat DeWine. Pat DeWine is the most corrupt Justice on the Court today. He has refused to recuse himself from ruling on the question of redistricting maps, even though those maps were drawn by his own father, Governor Mike DeWine. He also ruled in favor of HB6 which was passed through bribery and corruption.

Pat DeWine (R)

Marilyn Zayas (D)

Ohio State Government Races

Ohio House 44th District

Wood County Green Party urges you; Do NOT vote for Roy G. Palmers

Roy G Palmers (R). Roy G Palmers is a former marine and bank teller. In his campaign postings, he blames all the ills in America today on "Left-Wing" politicians like Joe Biden. A Trump supporter, he believes America has over-reacted to the January 6 insurrection, calling the troops mobilized to protect the Inauguration from violence proof the Democrats "couldn't care less about the American people."

Elgin Rogers (D). Elgin Rogers started his career in education, teaching political science and governance in regional colleges and universities. He currently serves in Lucas County government as an Administrator for the Board of Commissioners. He is endorsed by many unions and incumbent Democrats.

Ohio House 75th District

The Wood County Green Party urges you; Please do NOT vote for Haraz Ghanbari. Haraz was one of the earliest and fiercest pushers of HB6. Even though he has not been directly implicated in the bribery scandal, he pushed for the terrible energy policy HB6 created. It eliminated support for wind and solar energy and instead subsidized coal and nuclear. He also voted for HB434, a bill which would turn Ohio into a nuclear waste dump, creating an "authority" which would be allowed to put nuclear waste anywhere without any input from citizens.

Haraz Ghanbari. Haraz is a 20 year navy veteran. He has also worked as an advisor on veterans affairs at University of Toledo and as a photographer for AP. He is a staunch defender of Ohio's disastrous HB6, and can be counted on to vote according to the orders of the Republican leadership, including "inspection" of trans athletes, eliminating minimum professional requirements for teachers, allowing knives to be carried anywhere, and prohibiting wind and solar development. Please do NOT vote for him.

Jan K Materni. Jan is currently a Councilwoman in the City of Perrysburg. She says she is running because she is "sick and tired of the corruption...in Columbus." Her platform emphasizes repairing Ohio's crumbling infrastructure and switching us away from subsidizing coal and towards wind and solar energy. Pro-choice, she is endorsed by many unions and elected Democrats.

State Board of Education 2nd District

Wood County Green Party urges you; Do NOT vote for Sarah McGervey.

Sarah McGervey. A Catholic middle school teacher, Ms. McGervey is a former Ohio House Representative. Ms. McGervey plans to change the funding pattern for public schools by giving each student $13,000 per year to "spend" on whatever sort of education they "choose." This includes home schooling, religious schools, Uncle Billy, or charter schools. Research shows charter schools are inferior to public schools. This change in funding would be a death blow to the public school system. Schools need to maintain infrastructure. What happens when money is drained from the public school system and given to private schools, often run by hucksters, is a disastrous drop in educational quality.

Teresa Fedor. Ms. Fedor is a former Ohio Senator with 18 years of classroom teaching experience. She is an Air Force and National Guard veteran. As a Senator she has worked to create more equitable education funding in the State.

Wood County Races

There are three races on the ballot just for Wood County: Judge of Common Pleas; Commissioner; and Auditor. There is only one candidate on the ballot for all three of these races. It literally does not matter if you vote for them or not. It is worth noting that the Auditor and Commissioner races are partisan races and that the Republican candidate is unchallenged in both those races.