Wenda Sheard: Politician for the People

Posted: January 21, 2024 | Author: | Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: , , , , | 2 Comments

A Letter to Washington County Democrats

From: Wenda Sheard, Democratic Candidate for State Representative in the 94th Ohio House District. Paid for by Friends of Wenda Sheard

Note: For elections starting in 2024, the 94th Ohio House District includes all of Washington County, all of Meigs County, and part of Athens County.

Who am I?

I’m an attorney and trained mediator with a PhD in political science, who first moved to Athens in 1979. I’ve taught part-time at Ohio University, and I’ve taught in middle and high school positions in the USA, China, and England. Although I have not held public office myself, I’ve worked as an attorney for 22 years in Ohio courts directly under both Republican and Democratic judges, including serving as the Hocking County Domestic Relations Magistrate for nearly three years recently.

I’ve used my PhD to work as a researcher—one year researching the effectiveness of educational programs in a community college, and another year being the lead researcher of a project funded by the U.S. Department of Labor to research the educational and workforce pipelines of people with disabilities. While working on my PhD, I served as lead field researcher for a project exploring civic tolerance levels of students in public, private, and parochial schools.

My husband, retired science teacher Richard Thieret, and I live on a tree farm in Ames Township, Athens County. Our three children were all born at O’Bleness Hospital in Athens. We’re lucky to be grandparents to four little ones.

Why am I running for State Representative?

I’m running for State Representative because our current legislature has lost the ability to focus on the difficulties facing Ohioans. The August and November 2023 elections prove that point. We need a legislature willing to focus on the difficulties facing Ohioans in their homes, schools, and jobs.

In our district, we have hungry families, underfunded schools, lack of affordable and reliable internet and phone service, inadequate supplies of affordable housing, drug addiction, and long wait times to see medical specialists. Along with the rest of the world, we have the threat of climate change—a threat so horrific that most people avoid even thinking about it.

On the economic front, we have big corporations with wages set so low that families must rely on the government for food assistance and healthcare. We have unions that the Ohio legislature attempts to weaken, most recently with Senate Bill 83.

The latest available figures show that Athens County and Meigs County are ranked 83rd and 84th in Ohio in terms of per capita income among Ohio’s 88 counties. Washington County ranks 40th among Ohio counties, but the per capital income in Ohio as a whole isn’t pretty—1969 was the last year that the per capital income in Ohio was above the national average.

I’m also running because I believe voters should have a choice on their ballot. If we don’t have choice, then instead of elections, we have coronations.

How do I plan to address issues?

I plan to address issues facing the people of our district by listening to those who are suffering, by brainstorming solutions with a variety of people, and by collaborating with other legislators, including those across the aisle. I hope to convince people of both political parties that we need to focus on shared values, not political posturing.

For example, because most of us believe abortions should be rare, let’s work together to improve access to birth control, to lift Ohio families out of poverty, and to attract obstetricians to practice in Ohio’s rural areas so fewer people choose abortion.

How can you help?

I would love invitations to gatherings in Washington County where I might listen to people, whether in public places, in your home, or elsewhere. Please spread the word about my candidacy to your friends and neighbors. Thank you!

And yes, I need to raise money. Please donate as you are able, and encourage others to donate. My ActBlue account is: https://secure.actblue.com/donate/friends-of-wenda-sheard-1

Thank you!

Wenda

  Paid for by Friends of Wenda Sheard.