The opportunities to secure meaningful protections for Ohio’s environment have never been greater than in 2018. We face leadership changes in the Governor’s mansion, all statewide elected offices, and the General Assembly.
A healthy Ohio makes possible the governance, education, business, and recreation that the people who live and work in our communities need and depend on. Clean water and air are critical to the health all Ohioans. Open spaces connect us to nature and filter the air and water we need. Clean energy opens doors to a growing and sustainable economy. Sectors of our state’s economy — agriculture, manufacturing, recreation, and tourism, to name a few — depend on clean water, clean air, arable soil, vibrant parks and trails, as well as a stable climate to thrive.
Electing environmental champions to serve in the Ohio General Assembly will strengthen our environment and put leaders in place who are not afraid to bring forth the change Ohio needs to remain competitive in the clean energy boom.
The Ohio Environmental Council Action Fund PAC is excited to introduce you to our endorsed champions for 2018. These environmentally conscientious women and men will work to protect and preserve the health of our citizens and the environment that sustains us. Find out more about each of these candidates below:
House Races:
Erica Crawley (D-Columbus) for OH-26
Crawley is a proud veteran of the United States Navy serving on active duty in Norfolk, Virginia. She was awarded the National Defense Service Medal and the Navy & Marine Corps Achievement Medal for her dedication and professionalism while providing continuous fleet support of two carrier battle groups, four amphibious ready groups and numerous auxiliary steaming units during Operation Iraqi Freedom. She’s passionate about creating opportunities for the 26th House district constituents to enjoy the natural outdoors, have access to recreational opportunities, and support the 12 metroparks in the District.
Sedrick Denson (D-Cincinnati) for OH-33
Denson is a rising star in the Cincinnati political scene and has been instrumental in building and expanding the brand and values of the OEC Action Fund family of organizations in Southwest Ohio. He works daily to protect the air we breathe, water we drink, and public spaces we enjoy. Denson has great potential to grow into a legislative environmental champion.
Laura Lanese (R-Grove City) for OH-23
Lanese is seeking her second term as state representative for the OH-23 House district. She was one of only three Republican House members that voted against HB 114, which seeks to dismantle Ohio’s clean energy standards. She sees clean energy as an economic and security issue, but most importantly as an environmental issue.
Beth Liston (D-Worthington) for OH-21
Dr. Liston is an environmental advocate with the Ohio Clinicians for Climate Action — a group that originally started within the OEC Action Fund family of organizations. She is most passionate about working on policies that keep us healthy. Dr. Liston values clean air, clean water, a sustainable environment, a living wage, and strong public education as cornerstones to a thriving healthcare system in Ohio and the country.
John Patterson (D-Ashtabula) for OH-99
Patterson is running for his fourth and last term in the Ohio House. Patterson has been a consistent legislative champion for Lake Erie and environmental issues. This General Assembly period, he has either introduced or been the primary co-sponsor of five pieces of legislation to help nutrient runoff — including a bill to encourage use of riparian buffers and was the democrat co-sponsor of Clean Lake 2020. He has a thoughtful approach in balancing the environment with agricultural issues, and has been successful in working bipartisanly to get his legislation passed.
Michael Skindell (D-Lakewood) for OH-13
Skindell has a long history as a legislator with a passion for the environment. He has served terms as both a member of the Ohio House and the Ohio Senate, and is a member of the National Caucus of Environmental Legislators. This past General Assembly period alone has introduced seven environmentally focused pieces of legislation, including protecting Lake Erie from oil and gas drilling and fixing Ohio’s wind setbacks. Skindell is thoughtful in his approach to legislation, seeks out the advice of the OEC Action Fund and tries to garner bipartisan support for his bills.
Cassimir Svigelj (D-Rocky River) for OH-16
Svigelj is running for the first time as a state representative. He makes clean air and water one of his top priorities in his campaign website, biography, and social media. Svigelij is a 4th generation Slovenian, and his heritage means a lot to him and his family. He’s an active volunteer with the Bay Village Green Team.
Casey Weinstein (D-Hudson) for OH-37
Weinstein is running for the OH-37 House seat and is passionately focused on clean energy and the environment. Air quality is a personal issue for him as his daughter suffers from childhood asthma. His main area of policy focus is to ease wind setback laws and empower growth in the clean energy sector to create the jobs of tomorrow. Before being elected to Hudson City Council, he spearheaded an effort to place solar panels on the Barlow Community Center, raising money through private donations and grants to make the project a reality.
Erik Yassenoff (R-Upper Arlington) for OH-24
Yassenoff is running for his first time as a state representative. He previously served eight years on the Upper Arlington City Council, where he helped to create and chair the Sustainability and Technology subcommittee for Upper Arlington’s master planning process. He was a vocal leader in wanting the city to install solar on its administrative building, but the vote failed 4-3. He is known for being an intelligent, thoughtful policy wonk, and will use his knowledge on environmental and clean energy issues to be a vocal advocate.
Senate Races:
Nickie Antonio (D-Lakewood) for SD 23
Antonio has served eight years in the Ohio House and seeks to be the first woman to be elected to the Ohio Senate District 23 seat. She is passionate about equity & fairness, good jobs, safe and healthy communities, and quality education for all. She feels we can’t do any of this without a healthy environment: clean air, land, and water for our children. This is a key theme in her campaign.
Teresa Fedor (D-Toledo) for SD 11
As a person that lives on Lake Erie, Fedor has been advocating for a “distressed” designation. She joined local officials and conservation groups in NW Ohio to discuss ways to maintain momentum in the fight to protect the region’s drinking water. She urged Governor Kasich to declare the Maumee Watershed a “distressed watershed” in order to further abate the threats to Toledo’s drinking water. She has made this issue and the environment a part of her campaign platform for this Senate race.
Melinda Miller (D-Newark) for SD 31
Miller is running for office for the first time. She will advocate for environmental policies that protect our water supplies, our air, and our soil from contamination, and prominently talks about these issues on the campaign trail.