The Athens County Democratic Party held a fall dinner to discuss the upcoming elections and heard from Democratic candidates for Ohio treasurer, governor and city council positions.
Hamilton County Clerk of Courts Aftab Pureval was one keynote speaker along with Betty Sutton, a Democratic candidate for Ohio governor and Ohio treasurer candidate Rob Richardson.
The Ohio University College Democrats attended the dinner and announced each speaker. OUCD President Ashley Fishwick is an intern for Pureval.
Sutton described her experiences working with former President Barack Obama while she was working in the U.S. House of Representatives, as well as her childhood being raised in a lower economic class home. Her father was a boilermaker, and her mother worked in a public library in Barberton.
“I have dedicated my life to standing up for families just like the one that I grew up in,” Sutton said. “I’ve represented working families as a city councilwoman, as a county councilwoman, as a state representative.”
Sutton also mentioned her work fighting Congress’ efforts to change health care in America.
“I passed an amendment to the health care bill that stopped insurance companies from discriminating based on pre-existing conditions immediately,” Sutton said.
Sutton mentioned the negative sides of Ohio as well, including being one of the leading states in opioid deaths.
“If we are leading in opioid overdose deaths, then we can lead the way out,” Sutton said.
Richardson continued the health care conversation and mentioned that the Affordable Care Act repeal did not pass because of one vote.
“One vote was the difference between 700,000 Ohioans losing their health care, over 14 million plus Americans losing health care,” Richardson said. “It is not just a (President Donald) Trump issue.”
Richardson also spoke about the recent protests of American citizens and how participating does not make the protesters love the country any less.
“Those who protest are not anti-American, they might be the most American people we have,” Richardson said.
Pureval spoke about his mother’s story of being a refugee in India and his decision to run for Clerk of Courts.
“I decided to run for office,” he said. “I decided that public service is what I wanted to do … what I always wanted to do.”
With Election Day coming up, Pureval reminded the Democrats how important that election is.
“If we don’t send one or two Democrats to statewide office, we’re Indiana,” Pureval said. “We’re Kansas … What do you stand for, and who do you stand for?”
Pureval encouraged Athens County Democrats to be “organized, fired up and ready to go.”
