From left: Ukeme Awakessien Jeter, Michaela Burriss and Zach Rossfeld, candidates for the upcoming Ohio House District 7 Democratic primary in the Ohio Union’s Senate Chamber on Thursday. Credit: Daniel Bush | Campus Photo Editor
College Democrats at Ohio State, the affiliated branch of the Democratic Party, held a candidate forum for Ohio House District 7, which encompasses most of the campus, to tackle issues affecting students.?
On Thursday, Democratic candidates Ukeme Awakessien Jeter, Michaela Hahn Burriss and Zach Rossfeld answered questions regarding voter identification laws, Senate Bill 1, or SB 1, and state and local ICE collaboration.?
The event ran from 6:15 p.m. to 8 p.m. and had around 50 attendees.?
“We wanted to have a way to bring candidates to the university,” said Josie Speakman, the College Democrats’ president and a third-year in political science. “Making our politicians and our candidates more accessible to young people is very important.”?
The event was part of a series of forums for upcoming elections co-sponsored by the Franklin County Democratic Party, Central Ohio Young Black Democrats and Franklin County Young Democrats, according to an OSU Dems Instagram post.?
The House seat up for grabs is held by Allison Russo, who can no longer run due to term limits. Russo is currently running for Ohio Secretary of State, according to her campaign website.?
At the event, candidates were asked questions by a moderator and given two minutes to respond. There were five prepared questions from Speakman and her political director, and two submitted by audience members.?
Below is more information about the candidates.
Awakessien Jeter is mayor and City Council President of Upper Arlington. She holds a J.D. from Case Western Reserve University School of Law, an MBA from the University of Massachusetts Lowell and a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Maine, according to her campaign website.?
Hahn Burriss is an attorney and has served as the youngest woman elected to the Upper Arlington City Council. She is currently Policy Director for the Ohio Justice & Policy Center, a nonprofit law firm specializing in justice for the incarcerated, according to her campaign website.?
Rossfeld is a doctor of palliative medicine and associate professor of medicine at Ohio State. He previously served as the assistant medical director for Ohio Medicaid, according to his campaign website.?
Candidates were asked about the Safeguarding American Voter Eligibility Act in Congress, aimed to implement many voter identification requirements, according to the bill.??
Many supporters say the bill will prevent voter fraud, whereas critics say it disenfranchises voters, especially women, since they change their last names more than men when married and would be burdened with more required documentation.
All three candidates said they opposed the bill. Awakessien Jeter proposed the ID requirement be made easier, Hahn Burriss claimed similar legislation hasn’t curbed voter fraud and Rossfeld said election days should be holidays.?
With SB 1 in full effect, candidates were asked what role the state should play in free speech and policy. All said none.?
SB 1 is a bill in which Ohio public universities have been required to adjust their policies to comply with the prohibition of diversity, equity and inclusion programming, per prior Lantern reporting.
“I think at some point you have to see what the master plan is here, which is the elite class does not want anybody who can have an education and have the tools to rise against them to change economic welfare in our state, to rebalance power and to reclaim power for the working class,” Hahn Burriss said.?
All candidates were outspoken about their opposition to local and state law enforcement working with the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, or ICE.?
“I want to call out wrongs and help right them, and much of this policy is not directly decided on in our state government,” Rossfeld said.?
Candidates were then asked about reproductive rights,? all of which said they supported.?
Rossfeld proposed repealing tax breaks for donating to pregnancy crisis centers, which discourage people from receiving abortions, according to the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists.?
“It is disheartening to me that my daughter is growing up with less rights to a uterus than I had,” Awakessien Jeter said.?
As for the most important issue facing House District 7, each candidate had different opinions. Hahn Burriss said housing affordability, Rossfeld said education and Awakessien Jeter said both are equally important.?
“Whether you are a senior, whether you are a young person hoping to buy your first home, none of us can afford to live,” Hahn Burriss said.?
Undergraduate Student Government President Christopher Cade asked specifically about affordability.?
Each candidate had unique solutions. Rossfeld proposed banning private equity from buying single-family homes, Awakessien Jeter suggested expedited zoning and permitting processes to fill the supply gap of homes and Hahn Burriss said landlord crackdowns.?
Speakman’s goals for the event were to get students voting and to express the determination of OSU Dems.
“I really hope that this event shows the Democratic community in Columbus that young people are so ready and so willing for this fight in November,” Speakman said.?
College Republicans at The Ohio State University hosted a meeting with William Mercier, House District 7’s Republican candidate, on March 31, said Hunter Willmitch, club president and third-year in political science. Safety of the Short North district and education policy were discussed at the meeting.?
“I personally don’t support any of the candidates that they had out, but I praise the OSU Dems in doing an event like that,” Willmitch said. “I think it’s very smart of them to have individuals on campus.”?
The primary election will be held on May 5, and the polls will be open 6:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m., according to the Secretary of State. Whichever Democratic candidate wins will face Mercier in the general election on Nov. 3, during the same timeframe.
