Meet the candidates: Democrats host spring dinner as a chance to discuss issues

Democrats host spring dinner as a chance to discuss issues

Democrats in Washington County gathered together Friday night to hear from candidates running in state, local and national races to talk about issues important to them.

The Washington County Democratic party hosted its Spring Dinner at the Marietta Armory Friday evening where music was played by the Fifth Street Quartet and food was provided by Parkhurst Catering.

Washington County Democratic Executive Committee Vice Chair Cory Sampson welcomed attendees to the event and said people would get a chance to meet candidates running in upcoming elections.

He said those elections are giving Democrats the opportunity to make great change in the local area.

"We will get this blue wave crashing across Ohio again," Sampson said about the elections.

The invocation was given next by former Washington County Common Pleas Court Judge Ed Lane.

Washington County Democratic Executive Committee Chair Willa O'Neill spoke after the invocation, saying that this year is an important year, "as far as saving our democracy because it's truly at risk."

O'Neill announced former Belpre Mayor Mike Lorentz as the Democrat of the Year.

"I know of noone who has spent more time in public service," O'Neill said of Lorentz.

Lorentz said he was thankful for the award and that he felt like it was an honor.

"Really and truly over the past 37 years ... I have met some wonderful people," Lorentz said about his political career.

He said it would be nice to have a Congressman who knows where Lorentz is from and cares about the people he cares about before he dies. He said it has been a long time since there was one so people should vote for Michael Kripchak for the U.S. House of Representatives.

During the event other candidates running for office spoke briefly about their campaigns, including Tracey Wright who is running for Washington County Recorder, Wenda Sheard who is running for State Representative for the 94th Ohio House District and Ari Faber who is running for Ohio Senate District 30.

There were several speakers at the Spring Dinner, including two Marietta College students who, according to Sampson, restarted the Marietta College Young Democrats after it had stopped in 2020 due to COVID. They were Geneva Cech and Alyson Felton. Tyler Sydensticker, the field organizer for the Ohio Coordinated Campaign for U.S. Senator Sherrod Brown and 8th District Court Judge Lisa Forbes, who is running as a Democrat for a seat on the Ohio Supreme Court also spoke.

Michael Kripchak, who is running for the U.S. House for Ohio's 6th Congressional District as a Democrat in both the June 11 special election to fill the rest of former Congressman Bill Johnson's term and in the November general election for a new term in that seat, was a speaker at the event.

Kripchak gave an energetic speech, walking back and forth among the crowd, and he received a standing ovation at the end of his talk.

He emphasized that right now what Democrats are fighting against is authoritarianism.

"An informed electorate is the most important bulwark against authoritarianism," Kripchak said.

He asked for people's help on June 11 and said that Democrats can win that election if they let people know what is going on.

Kripchak talked about some of his campaign issues, including saying he wants Ohio to be part of the "green tech revolution" by bringing things like fusion energy to Ohio, to build back the public education system by stopping "teaching to the test", help farmers and and fix the economy because "authoritarianism rises in extreme wealth gap situations."

Our people are struggling and with your help we can put an end to this," Kripchak said. "Look, June 11 is important. Why? Because if we get in office then all of a sudden that house is evenly split. You want to see a border security bill that actually does border security, get me into office. You want to see us actually protect abortion and reproductive care, get me into office."

The keynote speaker was David Pepper. According to Sampson, Pepper is the former head of the Ohio Democratic Party, an author and a commentator on MSNBC.

Pepper talked about battles in politics.

"I'm here tonight to talk about the front line in the battle for democracy," Pepper said.

He said that the Democratic Party has taken for granted that democracy is here to stay no matter what. He also said that Democrats have decided the way to win the battle is to win federal offices.

Pepper said the problem is the other side's battle is not the same.

"How do we subvert democracy enough to lock in a minority world view that would never win in a democracy?," Kripchak said about the Republican Party.

"That's their battle plan, don't ever forget it."

He said Republicans accomplish their battle plan in the state houses of America. He said in state houses they write the rules of democracy itself and this gives them the power to shape the electorate .

Pepper said that Democrats need to stop focusing only on elections in swing states or swing districts and need to focus on races at the state level.

"We have to start fighting for Democracy in all 50 states, it's the right thing to do and the thing to do, because if we're not in the fight all that's left is extremists," Pepper said.