Four candidates running to replace state rep accused of lying about graduating from MIT
Two Republicans and two Democrats are competing for the chance to represent their party on the November ballot in the Ohio House's 10th district — a seat that opened after its current representative was accused of lying on his resume.
The district, currently represented by Hilltop Republican Rep. Dave Dobos, includes parts of southern and western Columbus, Grove City, Franklin Township, Jackson Township and Urbancrest, according to the Secretary of State's office.
The seat is up for grabs since Dobos decided against running for re-election after it was revealed that he did not in fact graduate from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology like he had long claimed.
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Vying to replace Dobos are Democrats Mark Sigrist, 62, of Grove City and Sarah Pomeroy, 33, of Columbus' Brewery District, one of whom will face off against either Brian Garvine, 53, of Grove City, or Shafi Shafat, 43, of Grove City, who are both Republicans.
Not all of the candidates have served in elected office before, but each has served in public-facing roles or government jobs at one point or another.
On the Democratic side, Pomeroy has worked as a senior assistant city attorney for Columbus for five years. Sigrist, who retired after working for 33 years at Honda, is currently a Grove City council member, he told The Dispatch.
Among the two Republicans, Garvine is an attorney and said he served as a village council member in Asheville in Pickaway County while Shafat founded the Somali language TV station Delmar TV, is a business owner and president of the Somali American Chamber of Commerce in Columbus, which is home to one of the larges Somali populations in the U.S.
With early voting already underway and the primary election day just weeks away on March 19, The Dispatch spoke with each candidate about their race. Here's what they had to say:
Q. Why are you running for this House seat?
Sigrist: Values misalignment. Our state representative has voted on the wrong side of significant legislation, especially in the space of women's rights, LGBTQ rights and he did not vote for a moderate (House) speaker when he had the chance. My kindergarten thinking is like: You're not representing us.
Pomeroy: What I do in my day job is what I want to do at the Statehouse, which to be an advocate and learn. A lot of our legislators aren't focused on what it means to have a safe neighborhood, a good education. ... I've long believed everyone deserves a fundamental level of dignity and respect. We need more of that at the Statehouse.
Shafat: I'm running because I am really deeply committed to the well-being of our community. I have seen the challenges in our community in the last several years and I am willing to stand up for our community as a candidate. ... I am confident that I can make a difference.
Garvine: I think its important to hold this seat. It's a Republican seat right now, and it's important to have a Republican presence in the county, to have those ideals represented so forth. Being a lawyer opens itself up to understanding the day to day tasks, reading and interpreting the law.
Q. What are the biggest issues facing this house district?
Sigrist: One of my priorities is certainly our seniors. That ... is our largest growing sector. there are a lot of people who need help in this space, especially as people live longer.
And I think, truthfully, just working on thing ... public schools are such a challenge now post-COVID. ... I'm a big believer that our service workers (are struggling to keep up with) the gap in inflation and their wages. I see people who are just not having the quality of life that I had at their age.
I'm also a big fan of LGBTQ+ protections. But, what's most important is working with others to solve problems. People just want their leaders to show they can work together and get along between both parties.
Pomeroy: The economic development and growth that central Ohio is experiencing and how we can be better prepared for that growth. I want to be a part of making sure that growth is coming to this district but also inclusive of folks who have felt left out of that process.
We don't have enough housing ... but it's not just about building new housing ... We have to ensure folks can age in place.
We (also) need to make sure our schools are preparing students for roles of tomorrow ... and able to provide breadth of opportunity. I think our school systems need to be a place where everyone is welcome, rather than where you're banning the book you don't like.
Shafat: Education, support for businesses and the well-being of the community ... we need to look at how to improve education and how to enhance our businesses.
Crime is also another challenge here. I have visited several graves — more than 18 graveyards. Our youngsters get involved with crime because of the area they live in. ... All they know is the bad guys come out and they join them.
Garvine: I think the economy is big. I'm a business owner, so I'm a very pragmatic person. I'd continue to look for policies to continue tax reform and consolidating tax brackets, some of these things are all really good for economic development. I think education choice is important, too.
Q. How do you intend to tackle some of those problems?
Sigrist: Going into a minority presence (in the house), I don't know that I feel confident picking out one thing or another. I'll try to make bills and legislation better and represent democratic values. That's what I'd like to do.
I find that just helping to frame the discussion and solutions, then we can work together more. ... When I get into the Statehouse, I'll invest my time with those willing to get things done.
Pomeroy: On the economic development front, I really believe we can build on partnerships between businesses, unions, and public private partnerships ... to prepare workers for the income and jobs that we have.
A huge part of what I do in my job now is I sit down, talk through what (people) need to make neighborhoods safer. (Similarly) we need to ask what do businesses need to make them successful? If it's not having enough folks to fill those positions, then we want to continue to attract people.
It's (also) important to be thinking through how we are preparing our kids and families for what comes next.
Shafat: I would address them by bringing up businesses and by trying to save our children.
I would try to enhance the lives of our kids, by helping them to become very qualified youngsters. We need to invest in them. My priorities will (focus on) how I can save these diminishing generations.
Garvine: I think continuing some of the momentum in terms of the tax reforms and tax benefits or tax breaks to companies that foster economic development. Continuing education choice and we need to continue to do work to make sure (it's) fair and equitable...public schools also need to be funded appropriately.
mfilby@dispatch.com
@MaxFilby
This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Four running to replace state rep accused of lying about MIT degree
