Vanessa Cummings
Cummings is a graduate of the University of Alabama with a degree in psychology and Payne Theological Seminary.
Cummings said she sought office at the state level because “I got tired of people not being represented. The voices of the people are being ignored. When we vote to do something, we shouldn’t have to be concerned that legislators are going to try to find a way to undo what we voted to do.”
After years of championing voter registration, encouraging people to run and serve, she said she got feedback that she needed to seek office.
“I prayed about it and thought this was the time I was going to do it,” Cummings said.
Health care, education and economics are issues facing the district, including the jump in property taxes, Cumming said.
Cummings noted the country is in a post pandemic economy and wages have not kept up.
“We need to look at wages and health care to see what we can do with some things like the federal government did to help people lower the cost of medication. There are things we could do on the state level to make things more affordable.” she said. “(And) making sure we have mental health services available because families are struggling to address mental health and substance abuse costs that are not covered by their insurance.”
Cummings said preserving public education and making sure it is not “defunded” is important.
“We have to keep politicians out of education and allow the educators to do their jobs and not be controlled by politicians,” she said.
Cummings said while they are both pastors, she and her opponent have different views of the role of faith in the church.
“I am not going to the state house to take my beliefs and make them the law of the land,” Cummings said. “My faith forms what I do and motivates me to do what I do, but I don’t believe that I should go to the state house and say I am going to legislate my faith belief and make it the law of the land that is not who we are as country.”
Diane Mullins
Mullins, who did not reply to multiple attempts by the Journal-News seeking comment, unsuccessfully ran for the Statehouse four years ago before Ohio redistricted its 99 House seats following the decennial census.
Her campaign’s Facebook doesn’t point to her position on specific issues, outside of indicating on one post that, “pro-life is top priority of my core values, and belief system.”
In a 2020 Journal-News story, Mullins said she was steadfast in protecting life and Second Amendment rights. She also acknowledged four years ago the importance of working with the minority party to advance Ohio.
“My goal is to work together to find positive solutions to issues, without compromising my conservative core beliefs,” she said four years ago.
Staff Writer Michael D. Pitman contributed to this report
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