The Ohio State Team is pleased to host a Meet the Candidates event for Ohio Auditor and Treasurer. This event will allow you to learn more about the Democratic candidates, share their backgrounds, discuss key issues, and their vision. They will also explain what the auditor and treasurer do and how these roles are key to governing the state. There will also be time for a Q&A session with an opportunity for attendees to ask questions.

The event is co-sponsored by the Democrats Abroad Global LGBTQ+ Caucus and the Global Youth Caucus.

RSVP to receive the Zoom link.

Candidate Bios:

Taylor Sappington, a 30-year-old openly gay man from Nelsonville, a small city in Southeast Ohio, is the youngest person running for state office in Ohio.  Despite his youth, Sappington has experience as an elected official.  After graduating from Ohio University, he was elected to a seat on the Nelsonville City Council. His first legislative accomplishment as a council member was to propose a balanced budget ordinance that mandated balanced budget proposals from the city administration. After serving one term on the City Council, Sappington ran for the office of City Auditor, to which he was subsequently elected.  Once he took office, he began an investigation that uncovered the largest theft and fraud scheme in city history. As city auditor, he has also made the city’s finances more transparent, publishing them online for all to see.  Under Sappington’s leadership, the city coffers show a surplus, and the books are regularly audited. It is said that Sappington has created an environment in the auditor’s office where one can expect honesty and transparency.

In May of this year, Sappington announced his candidacy for State Auditor, taking on Republican Incumbent Keith Faber.  If elected, Sappington hopes to bring his work experience and ethics to Columbus to transform the State Auditor’s Office into an institution to be trusted. Not only is Sappington willing to investigate the FirstEnergy scandal involving former House Speaker Larry Householder, something he accuses Faber of not doing, but he will also become a member of the seven-member redistricting commission.

Taylor Sappington is a man who is committed to balancing the books and taking on the crooks.

Scott Schertzer is the Democratic Candidate for State Treasurer.  Schertzer is currently mayor of Marion, the city from which he hails. After graduating from the University of Toledo with a BA in Social Studies, he went to work in the Secretary of State’s Office under Sherrod Brown and subsequently in the Treasurer’s Office under Mary Ellen Withrow. He worked in education as a classroom teacher for 13 years, after which he decided to run for and was elected to a seat on the Marion City Council. Having served on City Council for nine years, in 2008, Schertzer was elected mayor, a position he was elected to four additional times.  During his time as mayor, Schertzer led Marion through the Covid epidemic and the opioid crisis. In 2018 he was elected President of the Ohio Municipal League, where he has had the opportunity to interact with Ohio mayors from all over the state to discuss challenges Ohio cities are facing today and solutions to overcome those challenges.

Schertzer says his time in public office has been focused on “small-town values,” such as being invested in the community and understanding the needs of people who want opportunities to get ahead.  These are the values he will bring to Columbus if elected in November. He believes that Ohioans have suffered from a culture of corruption found in Columbus. He is committed to rooting out that corruption and changing Ohio for the better.

Schertzer is running against the Republican incumbent Robert Sprague.

It's all hand on deck to turn Ohio BLUE! Write to [email protected] with any questions.

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The Midterms matter, and so does every vote. We can WIN Ohio!