Rick Neal, a Democrat and former international aid worker, began a campaign Tuesday for Ohio’s 15th Congressional District against Republican incumbent Steve Stivers.
Stivers is currently in his fourth term after winning in November against Democrat Scott Wharton. Neal has never ran for elected office before, and he is not a politician, according to a news release.
“This district deserves a representative who will work hard for better-paying jobs, an end to the opioid epidemic and affordable healthcare for everyone,” Neal said in the press release. “Steve Stivers left us behind last year when he took a new job raising money for his fellow Republicans in Congress — and then voted to kick thousands of his constituents off their health insurance.”
After college, Neal joined the Peace Corps and worked in Morocco for five years as a teacher and health educator. He earned a master’s degree in public health. He launched a hospital reconstruction project in Afghanistan after the fall of the Taliban and was involved in projects that helped refugees have access to clean water.
“The most important lesson I learned was to not be afraid to stand up and take action when called, no matter the obstacles,” he said in the press release.
The 15th District includes all of Athens, Clinton, Fairfield, Hocking, Madison, Morgan, Perry, Pickaway and Vinton counties along with parts of Fayette, Franklin and Ross counties. Neal currently lives in the German Village neighborhood of Columbus with his husband, Tom Grote, and their two adopted daughters.
