As Republican presidential candidates jet across the country to campaign in various states, U.S. Rep. Steve Stivers also hit the campaign trail last night.
But rather than shaking hands and kissing babies in Iowa and New Hampshire, Stivers’ re-election bid led him to Athens.
The 15th district congressman, elected in 2010, visited with the Ohio University College Republicans last night, thanking them for their previous support for other GOP candidates and hoping to earn their backing.
His district, which was solidified last month after a controversial statewide redistricting during the last few months of 2011, now includes most of Athens County.
Two other Republicans have announced that they will challenge Stivers in this March’s primary: Ralph Applegate and Charles Chope, both of whom attempted to run in 2008 but did not collect enough signatures to make the ballot.
During his visit with the College Republicans, Stivers said the three main focuses of his re-election bid will be creating jobs, reducing government spending and paying off the national debt.
“I’ve led by example by cutting my own pay,” he said, adding that, though there is still work to be done, Congress has cut government spending the past two years.
Stivers also said he is willing to work with both parties in Washington to meet his goals.
“I’m proud that all my bills have at least one Democrat on them,” he said. “I’ll never trade my principles, but I can work with (Democrats).”
If he wins the GOP primary, then Stivers will face off with a Democratic opponent in what could be one of the state’s most competitive races.
His opponent could be Athens Law Director Pat Lang, an OU alumnus and former Athens City Council member who will square off against Scott Wharton of Amanda, Ohio, in the spring’s Democratic primary.
Lang said he questions Stivers’ performance in office, arguing that it is time the district had a new representative in D.C.
“I think he’s fighting for all the wrong things,” Lang said. “He’s fighting for the Wall Street crowds and the big banks at the expense of senior citizens and the middle class.”
Lang said little has been done to alleviate the nation’s economic problems and that something must change on Capitol Hill.
“(Congress) refuses to work together or do anything on the jobs problem,” he said. “If we’re going to break this gridlock situation, we need to change the people we’re sending to Washington.”
A handful of other local Republicans welcomed Stivers to Athens last night, including Athens County Republican Party Chairman Pete Couladis; Athens County Commissioner Larry Payne; former Ohio Sen. Jimmy Stewart; and current candidates Charles Richter and Randy Mace.
Richter is running for the Athens County seat in the Ohio House of Representatives and Mace is mounting a write-in campaign for county
commissioner.
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