Transparency Accountability Commitment
Thank you!
When my mother came to the USA as a refugee at age 13, it was the third continent and fifth country her German-Chinese family had fled to in the midst of the Japanese occupation of Manchuria, the Nazi takeover of Germany, and the Communist Revolution in China. She instilled in me and my sisters the sense that participating in our democracy is a moral obligation, a responsibility to our fellow citizens. A lifelong Democrat and occasional volunteer, I became an activist after the 2016 election showed what can happen when too many of us become disenchanted with our political process.
Beginning as a volunteer for the Fair Districts anti-gerrymandering ballot initiative, I went on to volunteer for Democratic candidates, and was appointed to represent my precinct on Licking County Central Committee, a position to which I was re-elected in 2020. During my tenure, the number of registered Democrats in my precinct has doubled. In 2020, I also became 1st Vice-President of the Licking County Democratic Club. I still hold both positions. As part of my work on County Central Committee, I’m part of a subcommittee developing a plan to revitalize and strengthen our County Democratic Party. I also volunteer with nonprofits and informal associations focused on civil rights, voting rights and progressive causes.
I’ve been an Ohioan since 1976. After graduating from Oberlin College, I worked as a legal secretary for Southeastern Ohio Legal Services (SEOLS) in Marietta. There, I helped organize attorneys and non-attorney staff into a single bargaining unit affiliated with the United Auto Workers, and became shop steward after our Union was certified. I went on to law school at The Ohio State University, then returned to SEOLS’ Zanesville office to re-join the Union and begin my legal career. I represented people in poverty in matters related to housing, domestic violence, and public benefits. Later, I opened a solo practice representing Social Security Disability and SSI claimants. I moved to eastern Licking County in 1997, and continued to work from my Zanesville office until retirement.
Besides my volunteer work, I enjoy running, vegetable gardening, and walking my dog in Licking County’s many beautiful parks.
My Platform
Transparency
I will work to ensure that the voters who elect me can easily learn about the Ohio Democratic Party, its structure and activities, and whom to contact with questions. A silver lining of the COVID pandemic has been the accessibility of virtual meetings, and I will fight to make sure that State Executive and Central Committee meetings remain open to people who can’t attend in person for reasons of health, distance, work, or family obligations. Subcommittee recommendations to the Executive Committee should include a description of the process, and identify the subcommittee members.
Accountability
Election Day should not be the first and last time a voter sees their Central Committeemembers’ names. As the primary liaison between County Parties and the State Party, I will regularly visit meetings of the County Central Committees within my district, and reach out to County Parties to bring their concerns to Columbus. My contact information is already available to my voters on the Licking County Democratic Party’s website, and I encourage voters in my precinct to reach out to me with their questions and concerns. If elected to State Central Committee, I will work to ensure that all Democratic voters in my district feel connected to and valued by their State Party.
Commitment
Since I became an activist, I have been adamant that rural Democrats must be part of the statewide and national conversation. Though Democrats are outnumbered in most rural precincts, our votes are needed to elect statewide candidates. Reaching voters in more sparsely populated areas is more time-consuming and more expensive than in dense, heavily Democratic urban precincts, but it’s not only worth the investment, it’s necessary. One of the true joys of serving on County Central Committee has been meeting more of my rural neighbors and learning how many of us are Democrats. I will work to build solidarity among rural and urban Democrats. I’m very encouraged by the Ohio Democratic Party’s renewed commitment to all 88 counties, and will push to ensure this strategy continues.
What is the
Democratic State
Central Committee?
Every four years, voters elect one man and one woman from each State Senate district to represent them on the State Central Committee of their political party.
The directly elected members of the Democratic Central Committee become members of the Executive Committee, which consists of the Central Committee members, any Democratic statewide elected officials and candidates, additional members elected by the Central Committee, and members appointed from constituency caucuses by the State Democratic Party Chair.
The Executive Committee functions similarly to the Board of Trustees of a nonprofit corporation. The Executive Committee elects Party officers, chooses our representatives to the DNC, votes on endorsing candidates, sets broad policy goals, and approves a budget. The State Party Constitution and By-Laws define the duties and powers of Central Committee members.
It’s often said that State Central Committee members are the liaison between County Parties and the State Party. If elected, I intend to check in regularly with the County Parties within my district. Still, State Central Committee members are elected directly by Democratic voters, and as such, I believe that we have a responsibility to be the liaison between voters and the Party.
I am proud to be endorsed by United Steelworkers Local 244m and the Licking Knox Muskingum Coshocton Labor Council.
