This year's midterm elections offer an unprecedented opportunity for Ohio voters to make history by launching the first Democratic African American woman into the state's Executive Branch. Ohio State Senator Nina Turner, the Democratic nominee for Ohio Secretary of State, is running neck and neck in the polls against Republican incumbent John Husted, despite the GOP dominated State Legislature's efforts to roll back history by imposing a host of voter restrictions intended to create barriers and disrupt the ease of voting access for wide segments of the population.
It is no coincidence that the people who will most likely be affected by the systematic dismantling of voter mainstays, (such as "Souls to the Polls," where citizens go to the polls directly from church and laws allowing people to register and vote on the same day) are the same segments of the population that turned out en masse to help elect President Obama into his first and second terms as president, in 2008 and 2012.
As the chief election officer for the state, The Secretary of State is responsible for appointing members of the 88 county boards of elections and upholding the integrity of the Ohio voting process. For years Husted and the Republican-controlled General Assembly have worked aggressively to stymie the voices of American citizens by pushing through legislation that seeks to restrict voter access to the polls.
A staunch advocate for voter's rights, Turner says, "The vote is the great equalizer in this country and we cannot have anybody take it away."
Her candidacy is far from politics as usual. As it is often said, "The road to the White House goes through Ohio," as virtually no U.S. presidential candidate has been elected to the office without winning the Buckeye State.
A win for Turner as Ohio Secretary of State will have a profound impact on the 2016 Presidential election environment.
A live-by-example, "pull yourself up by your bootstraps," candidate, Turner knows and respects the challenges of those striving for the American Dream. At the age of 14, she took a job to help her family make ends meet. Despite her challenges, she went on to work her way through college and graduate school. These are just some of the experiences that define who she is today as a public servant with a reputation for her tireless efforts to find "common sense solutions for working families."
As State Senator, Turner has focused on expanding educational opportunities, women's health issues, and a fairer tax code. As a candidate for secretary of state, her steadfast commitment is to create business opportunities and avenues for advancement for Ohioans at the ballot box and in life. Turner is devoted to working on behalf of Ohioans, who as a whole, so perfectly represent the heart and soul of our nation -- the men and women who go to work every day to provide for their families, hoping that the American Dream of upward mobility is still alive and well for all who have the resolve to achieve it.
In support of Turner, former President Bill Clinton says:
Elections matter, and that's why it matters to all of us who administers our elections. With Nina as Secretary of State, we can count on her to expand and protect the franchise and restore integrity and fairness to the electoral process in Ohio.
Here's how you can help. If you know someone who lives in Ohio, call them and tell them to vote for Nina Turner as Secretary of State on November 4th or before Election Day during early voting in-person or by mail. Together we can carve a clear path for victory for a candidate who will move Ohio forward to fulfill its potential for all citizens rather than rewind it to a past that served a privileged few.