What Progressive Means in Ohio: Kim McCarthy on Building Power from the Inside while Running for Office

In episode 204, our candidate interview marathon wraps up with Ohio House candidates Samantha Salamon (HD-35) and Mason Blankenship (HD-68). EARLY VOTING IS OPEN NOW - GO VOTE, OHIO! Samantha Salamon is running for Ohio House District 35, which encompasses Northern Summit County and parts of Geauga and Portage Counties. This district plays a critical role in breaking the Republican held supermajority in the Ohio Statehouse. When Amy Acton is elected governor, she will need a legislature that won’t overrule every decision she makes. Breaking the supermajority requires flipping six seats in the Ohio House, and District 35 is among the most competitive opportunities to do so this year. Samantha is the Chief Counsel at Asian Services in Action, Inc. (ASIA), where she works and advocates for victims of human trafficking, domestic violence, and sexual assault. She earned both her Bachelor’s and Juris Doctor from Cleveland State University. Born and raised in Northeast Ohio, Samantha is deeply rooted in the community she seeks to represent and currently lives there with her husband and son. Samantha is a proven leader and a strong advocate for Ohioans. In the Statehouse, she will stand up against harmful legislation, fight to find practical solutions to the challenges facing Ohio families, and work to ensure that everyone has the opportunity to build a dignified and fulfilling life in our state. Resources: * Samantha’s Campaign Website * Social Media * Instagram * Facebook Mason Blankenship is running for Ohio House District 68, which includes a large portion of Licking county, including Granville, Pataskala, and parts of Newark. He is a native of Licking County, understands the challenges of balancing hard work, family responsibilities, and the feeling of being overlooked by state leadership. His candidacy aims to introduce a working-class perspective to the Statehouse, characterized by attentive listening, honesty, and a commitment to advocating for the residents of this community. Resources: * Mason’s Campaign Website * Social Media * Instagram * TikTok * Facebook We’re bringing together digital creators from across the state to build a powerful digital organizing network called Ohio Creators for Progress. Support and donate to this effort below! ⬇️ Connect with United SHE Stands: * Substack * Instagram * TikTok * YouTube * Threads * Buy us a coffee ☕️ This episode was edited by Kevin Tanner. Learn more about him and his services here: * Website * Instagram

In episode 203, we sit down with Ohio House candidates Jonathan Bradner (HD-29) and Dave Fournier (HD-44) to talk about what’s at stake for working families across the state. They cover everything from property taxes and school funding to corruption in Columbus, and share what’s keeping them hopeful heading into November. Jonathan Bradner running for State Representative in Ohio’s 29th District, which includes Northwest Hamilton county. He is a progressive pastor and advocate Raised in Northwest Ohio, he learned the value of community early. As a teenager, he earned a Presidential Volunteer Service Award. Later, while working through seminary, he advocated for and won fair wages for his fellow employees in the hospitality industry. Now a pastor and community leader, he brings real-world experience and leads with empathy and a commitment to dignity for all. Resources: * Jonathan’s Campaign Website * Social Media * Instagram * TikTok * Facebook David Fournier is running for Ohio House District 44, which includes parts of Lucas, Ottawa, and Wood counties. He is a husband, dad and attorney. A lifelong Northwest Ohioan, he is committed to fighting for working families by lowering property taxes, fairly funding and strengthening public schools, and improving access to healthcare. Resources: * David’s Campaign Website * Social Media * Instagram * TikTok * Facebook We’re bringing together digital creators from across the state to build a powerful digital organizing network called Ohio Creators for Progress. Support and donate to this effort below! ⬇️ Connect with United SHE Stands: * Substack * Instagram * TikTok * YouTube * Threads * Buy us a coffee ☕️ This episode was edited by Kevin Tanner. Learn more about him and his services here: * Website * Instagram

In episode 202, Casey and Amanda Weinstein lay out what’s at stake in November and why Ohio voters shouldn’t outsource their vote. Public service is a family tradition for Casey and Amanda Weinstein. Casey’s grandfather, father, brother, and brother-in-law have all served in the armed forces, and so have Casey and Amanda themselves, who have called Hudson, Ohio, home while raising their three children, Nora, Emilia, and Brady. Casey is Ohio State Senator for the 28th district, which includes Hudson and parts of Akron . Wherever he was stationed, he made a point of engaging with his community. In Dayton, he was named a “Top 40 Under 40” Community Leader. As a member of the Leadership Hudson Class of 2014, he helped bring the Barlow Community Center Solar Training Center to Hudson, the first government-owned facility of its kind in the region. He served on Hudson City Council from 2015 to 2019, won his seat in the Ohio House of Representatives in 2018, and in 2024 won his bid to move up to the State Senate. Dr. Amanda Weinstein serves as an At-Large Councilmember for the City of Hudson. She is an economist, a veteran, and a mom. She served in the U.S. Air Force, where she programmed drone systems and advised top military leadership, and she went on to earn her Ph.D. in agricultural, environmental, and development economics at The Ohio State University. She has advised the Governor on tax policy and helped lead the Center on Rural Innovation’s work to revitalize small towns, focusing on modern infrastructure, small business growth, workforce development, and quality of life. In Hudson, she has been a Girl Scout troop leader and an advocate for the Hudson Inclusive Playground. Resources: * Ohio Rankings - U.S. News * Ohio Property Tax Rates by County We’re bringing together digital creators from across the state to build a powerful digital organizing network called Ohio Creators for Progress. Support and donate to this effort below! ⬇️ Connect with United SHE Stands: * Substack * Instagram * TikTok * YouTube * Threads * Buy us a coffee ☕️ This episode was edited by Kevin Tanner. Learn more about him and his services here: * Website * Instagram

In episode 201, we sit down with three Southwest Ohio candidates for the Ohio House, Laalitya Acharya (HD-56), Caleb Price (HD-30), and Jordan Haire (HD-47), to talk about why they're running and what they want to change in Columbus. Laalitya Acharya is a biomedical engineer and candidate for State House District 56 (Mason, Lebanon & Deerfield Twp). She graduated at the top of her class from Mason High School) - and then received her Bachelors & Masters of Science in Biomedical Engineering from Columbia University. Through both high school and college, she volunteered for local STEM education centers, organized to increase education access, and supported student worker’s rights. She was even honored with the Gold Congressional Youth Award for her advocacy work. After completing graduate school, she moved home to the district that raised her where she has continued to advocate for public education, affordability and success for all Ohioans. Her goal is to create an Ohio that works for everyone. That means making sure our state legislature fully funds our schools without property tax hikes, pushing back on the data centers that are driving up our utility bills and ensuring every hardworking Ohioan has access to the healthcare that they need. All of this is possible and within the state government’s control – and that’s what she will fight for in the State House. * Laalitya’s Campaign Website * Social Media * Instagram * TikTok * Bluesky * Facebook * X/Twitter Caleb Price is running for Ohio House District 30, which includes the west side of Cincinnati all the way to the Indiana border. He is a Cincinnati native and Cincinnati Public Schools graduate (Walnut Hills High School, ‘20). He graduated cum laude from the University of Illinois Chicago in 2023 and is finishing his master’s in Public Administration there online. Caleb has volunteered with the Special Olympics of Ohio & Kentucky and helped start H2O for Earth, a fundraiser for the Flint Water Crisis. He also worked with Cincinnati City Council to rename sections of Reading Road after President Barack Obama. A dues-paying member of IBEW Local 1220 from his time as a barista, he has worked jobs from busboy at Skyline Chili to cashier at Home Depot, and he says that experience shapes his focus on average workers and families. A member of Gen Z and a Green Township resident, Caleb says he brings fresh ideas and new life experiences to Columbus. * Caleb’s Campaign Website * Social Media * Instagram * TikTok * Facebook * Threads * X/Twitter Jordan Haire is running for Ohio House District 47, which lies entirely within Butler County containing many communities including Hamilton, Fairfield Township and Oxford. Jordan grew up in the Hamilton area, earned a BA from Marian University and Masters in Clinical Mental Health Counseling at NKU. Running in her hometown HD 47, Jordan is a mom, wife, mental health counselor, small business owner, and native Ohioan that is ready to listen, understand, and advocate for her community by putting people first. * Jordan’s Campaign Website * Social Media * Instagram * TikTok * Facebook We’re bringing together digital creators from across the state to build a powerful digital organizing network called Ohio Creators for Progress. Support and donate to this effort below! ⬇️ Connect with United SHE Stands: * Substack * Instagram * TikTok * YouTube * Threads * Buy us a coffee ☕️ This episode was edited by Kevin Tanner. Learn more about him and his services here: * Website * Instagram

It's our 200th episode!!!! We're celebrating with a look back at everything we've done in 2026, some rapid-fire confessions from 200 episodes of this show, and what's coming next as we gear up for the midterms and look ahead to 2027. We’re bringing together digital creators from across the state to build a powerful digital organizing network called Ohio Creators for Progress. Support and donate to this effort below! ⬇️ Connect with United SHE Stands: * Substack * Instagram * TikTok * YouTube * Threads * Buy us a coffee ☕️ This episode was edited by Kevin Tanner. Learn more about him and his services here: * Website * Instagram