Meet the Candidate
My name is Ryan Hunger and I am the Democratic Candidate for Ohio's 22nd State Senate District, which consists of Ashland, Medina, Richland Counties and a portion of Holmes County.
I am a 30 year resident of Medina County (Lafayette Township), 2005 graduate of Cloverleaf High School, graduate of Capital University and I currently work as a Receiving Specialist at Survitec Group-RFD Beaufort; a world renowned manufacturer of 25 person and 50 person life rafts for the US Navy amongst other clients.
Why I am running for the Ohio State Senate
I am running to give a voice to those that have been marginalized by the current state of our politics. We have to get unlimited "Dark Money" out of our political system, this money allows wealthy special interests to dominate our politics and make issues like education, infrastructure revitalization, social service reform and fighting public corruption either secondary or left off the agenda in Columbus.
Vote For a New Independent Voice for Ohio’s 22nd State Senate District On November 3rd, 2020
The Issues
As a State Senator, legislation and policy positions I will support:
Battling COVID-19
I will support the Ohio Department of Health in combatting Covid-19, we need to be adaptive and flexible with regard to this elusive virus. We will defeat this virus but I believe we have to trust the science and be prepared for the unexpected.
Campaign Finance
If elected I will propose legislation to ban 501C4 groups (social welfare organizations) from using “Dark Money” to influence state-wide and state legislative races.
Fighting Corruption
I support Ohio House Bill 741: public officials convicted of federal corruption charges would lose their taxpayer financed share of their state pensions.
Rural Internet Access
I support expanded broadband service across rural Ohio, my opponent voted against Ohio House Bill 13; this legislation will establish a fund to create broadband infrastructure in rural areas of Ohio.
2nd Amendment Rights
I am supportive of the 2nd amendment, the right to gun ownership is an American tradition passed down through the generations; we can balance this constitutional right with common sense back ground checks and red flag measures with regard to documented mental illness.
Conserving Ohio's Natural Resources
If elected to the Ohio Senate I will work across the aisle to establish a “Conservation Caucus” the sole purpose of this caucus will be to protect Ohio’s natural resources. As a fisherman, hunter and lover of the outdoors we need to protect our woods, lakes and streams from neglect and abuse. For example, sport fishing in Lake Erie is a huge industry; The American Sport Fishing Association estimates that Lake Erie’s sport fishing expenditures top $1 billion annually and the economic impact of recreational boating is estimated at $3.5 billion in Ohio, according to LakeEriefoundation.org. We need to protect those businesses invested in that sector from issues that may threaten their livelihoods.
Renewable Energy (House Bill 6)
I support reinstating the renewable energy standards that were reduced by House Bill 6. House Bill 6 scales back Ohio’s renewable-energy goal, which until now stated that by 2027, utilities must obtain 12.5 percent of their power from renewable sources such as wind and solar. House Bill 6 sets the maximum at 8.5 percent by 2026 – the level that, under the 2008 law, utilities had to reach by 2022.-(info cited from Jeremy Pelzer, Cleveland.com) We need to invest in wind and solar sources of energy as well; House Bill 6 did have investments in solar projects in Southern Ohio and tax exemptions for single customer wind turbines that produce up to 20 Megawatts. I would fight to keep these two provisions as law as opposed to a full repeal.
Education
We need to get a handle on school funding in Ohio. For far too long numerous legislatures and governors have kicked the can on this important issue. I believe the Cupp-Patterson legislation is a good starting point but overall we need balance to the funding mechanism between property, income and sales (tax) sources of revenue. For too long too much of the burden regarding school funding has been on property owners, in my view this must be remedied. Also we need to have a thoughtful debate about charter schools in the State Senate. This is basically a way for Ohio to outsource education for lack of a better word, we need to not only hold charter schools to the same rigorous standards as public schools but also redirect these funds to improving public education. Moreover, there are hardworking and talented educators at charter schools all across Ohio to fulfill opportunities that would be created by increased funding as well. As a State Senator, I firmly believe in investing in public education and bringing the most talented educators to our state.
