First-term incumbent faces off against former state rep in 72nd District race

On Nov. 8, voters in Portage County's reconfigured 72nd District will go to the polls to choose between a first-term incumbent and a challenger who previously held the seat for eight years.

Republican Gail Pavliga, the current 75th District representative, is running for re-election in the redrawn 72nd District against Democrat Kathleen Clyde, former representative of the 72nd District.

Clyde held the post for four terms before stepping aside to fill a vacancy on the Portage County Board of Commissioners created by Democrat Mike Kerrigan's resignation.

The new 72nd District created through redistricting includes much of the former 75th District and pulls Mantua and Aurora into the fold. It includes Ravenna, Kent, Streetsboro, Rootstown and parts of Randolph. It leaves out much of the southern part of the county and parts of eastern Portage.

During the 2020 election cycle, Pavliga flipped the 75th District red, unseating Democrat Randi Clites.

Pavliga said she's motivated to run for re-election by a desire to continue the work she started during her first term.

"I went down there wanting to serve the people of Portage County," Pavliga said.

"When I went [to Columbus], I wanted to talk about mental health, I wanted to talk about higher education, workforce development, lowering taxes, and keeping the American dream alive," she said. "I work tirelessly to make sure that I'm down there to do my job, and I'm not there for any political reason because at 60 years old, I have no other reason to do it other than for the right reason—and that's to serve the people of Portage County first and foremost, which also goes to the great state of Ohio."

She said she wants to meet the needs of her district, as well as addressing statewide issues.

"So much of what we're really looking at is working on inflation, tax cuts, mental health, workforce development, higher education and all things that Portage County needs to address. And those also flow on over into the state," she said.

Clyde's decision to run has to do with continuing her work as well. She co-chaired the Ohio Citizens Redistricting Commission (OCRC), which worked to create election maps in accordance with the state Constitution. The OCRC submitted their maps to the Ohio Redistricting Commission.

In 2015, Ohioans voted on a constitutional amendment that created an independent, bipartisan redistricting commission meant to combat gerrymandering. However, recently drawn maps have repeatedly been ruled unconstitutional by the Ohio Supreme Court for unduly favoring Republicans over Democrats. Still, these maps will be used during November's elections. A number of cases are pending before the Ohio Supreme Court that will decide the fate of these maps, but not before the election.

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While she concedes that the redistricting efforts have been better recently, there is still work to be done. Clyde said that her desire to again join the state legislature is motivated by an interest in providing residents in the 72nd District with more "even handed" representation.

"To me," Clyde said, "it was important to flip this seat and try to focus on what's really important: strong public schools, a good economy — an economy where workers are in focus and we are doing everything we can to improve their lives— instead of what we see our current legislature focused on, which is a lot of extremist bills and legislation that really aren't representative of most Ohioans and most residents of Portage County."

She cited bills limiting women's access to reproductive health care, targeting the LGBTQ+ population and providing handouts for Ohio-based energy companies as example.

"I hope to take the experience that I have from my previous service in the legislature," Clyde said, "and focus on the issues that I think are most important to the residents here. Addressing a challenging economy, supporting strong schools and our seniors, and putting aside the extremist politics that my opponent has engaged in and I think have taken up way too much attention of the current cast of characters that serve us in the statehouse now."

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About the candidates

Before becoming involved in politics, Pavliga worked as a counselor and adjunct professor at Malone University, a private Christian college in Canton.

Pavliga earned her Ph.D. in educational psychology from the University of Akron. She also received a master’s degree in individual/family studies/counseling and a bachelor’s degree in psychology/science from Kent State University.

Pavliga helped get the Court Appointed Special Advocates program established in Portage County. The program advocates in court for children who have experienced abuse or neglect

Additionally, she worked to establish a 9-8-8 suicide prevention hotline by introducing House Bill 468. She said she also worked with the Ohio Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services to address funding options for what was initially an unfunded federal mandate.

Clyde earned her bachelor's degree in English from Wesleyan University in Middletown, Connecticut, and later got her law degree from Ohio State University, where she worked editor of the law review and graduated as a public service fellow on the Dean's List.

In between Wesleyan University and OSU, she worked for two years with a central Ohio organization dedicated to fighting homelessness before joining John Kerry's presidential campaign as Ohio college coordinator.

Before her appointment to the county commissioner seat, Clyde was set to leave office because of term limits and had just lost her 2018 bid for secretary of state to Republican Frank LaRose.

Issues and solutions: The Economy

During their campaigns, the candidates both have heard concerns from voters about the economy.

Clyde said she's heard people wonder about what can be done to help local small businesses and local family farms.

Part of the solution, she said, is working to address the problems through state spending.

"There are many elements of the budget that touch our economy," Clyde said. "Incentivizing certain types of job creation and helping small businesses and small business owners succeed — those are all initiatives that we should be looking at carefully, targeting strategically, and helping make sure that Portage County citizens have every opportunity to succeed at all levels."

Crafting legislation that creates strong schools, promotes economic strength and helps the workforce through policies like paid family leave and eliminating gender pay discrepancies, also will help grow the economy, she said.

"I also in the past was a sponsor of an equal pay bill to ensure that women and men were paid the same wage for the same work," Clyde said. "We have not been able to pass legislation like that in Ohio, and I think that that's something important that we should pick back up and try to achieve here." Not only is it important for women in the workforce, she said, but also for their families. Pavliga said heard a general anxiety about inflation from her constituents.

It's primarily an issue at the federal level, making it difficult to address from the statehouse, she said.

"I hear all the time, people are wondering about what's going to happen with the price of gas," Pavliga said. The rising cost of groceries also has people worried.

There are some things, however, she said can be done on a state level.

Pursuing initiatives that will lead to energy independence in Ohio is one such move. Continuing to attract good paying jobs, those with a high hourly wage, is another. Though good paying jobs do little good when there is no one to work them.

"There is a workforce shortage," Pavliga said. "Most people think that money is a motivating factor, which it really is because we all need to be able to settle in an area where we can afford to live an raise a family."

House Bill 560, of which she is a co-sponsor, is designed to address the housing crisis in Ohio and — by extension — Portage County. Her hope is that more affordable housing will attract workers to the area.

Pavliga supported a 3% income tax cut for Ohioans and elimination of the tax bracket for those making less than $25,000 a year, a provision in the state operating budget for fiscal years 2022-2023.

"Lowering taxes...brings that little bit of hedge [against inflation] that families would have, that little bit of extra income," Pavliga said.

Abortion

Since the June 24 overturn of 1970's Roe v. Wade decision guaranteeing a federal constitutional right to an abortion, women's reproductive rights have been an important topic in Ohio and nationwide.

When news of the decision first broke, Pavliga told the Record-Courier: “As you know, I am pro-life. We have just started the process of reviewing the decision. I think it’s important that we have a full understanding of today’s ruling and what it means for Ohio. I do believe it’s important that support for women and issues related to health care for women and children be part of the conversation.”

Since June, Pavliga has been meeting with constituents to hear their thoughts on the issue. In going door-to-door, she said she's run into a "very interesting mixed bag."

"A lot of people do have concerns, and they have concerns either way," Pavliga said.

She laid out her own personal feelings about the matter, saying that it's important for her to continue listening and talking with constituents through the election season, and considering what they have to say when crafting policy should she win re-election.

"I think everyone needs a voice at this table," Pavliga said.

Clyde also spoke with the Record-Courier after Roe's overturn, saying: "The state legislature and state government is now going to decide this issue for Ohioans and that’s a scary thought with the current cast of characters. This is about respecting individual autonomy and freedom. I support a woman’s right to control her own body, today and always."

Four months later, Clyde still views the issue with the same sense of urgency.

Clyde says her opponent opposes abortion in almost all cases. "I am strongly opposed to that extremist viewpoint and supportive of women's reproductive freedoms," she said.

It his her belief that abortion is a choice that should be left to a woman and her doctor. The Republican-controlled legislature's stance on the issue, she said, is too radical and needs fixing.

The opioid crisis

Deaths from opioid overdose still continue to plague Ohio, and Portage County is no exception.

2020 was a worse year for overdose deaths than 2017, according to the Ohio Department of Health (ODH), with fentanyl playing a major role in the crisis.

"I am very interested in being a helpful ally to those in our community, and their families, who are struggling with addiction," Clyde said. "Ohio as a state is near the top as far as overdose deaths and addiction numbers."

If elected, Clyde said she will work to combat the crisis through support for treatment and other addiction-related services. She also said she'd work to solve some of the underlying issues driving people into the addiction cycle.

"Whether it be a lack of meaningful employment opportunities, or a lack of prevention activity," Clyde said. "There are a number of roots to this problem which we need to really address in a holistic way, working with mental health and addiction experts and funding that important work to try to really tackle this problem head on in all parts of our community."

Pavliga sponsored a bill, HB 193, to combat prescription opioid abuse that was signed into law in June. The law requires electronic prescriptions for legal Schedule II drugs, except for in certain cases.

"So much of illegal procurement of medication is done through fraudulent scripting," Pavliga said.

Education

Pavliga included a number of Portage County-focused amendments in the two-year state budget, including a significant amount of money for Kent State University and $1 million for Fiscal Year 2023 for NEOMED to build a dental school.

"Dentistry is one of the biggest public health emergencies that we have right now," said Pavliga. "We don't have enough dental providers."

Clyde said that working with the state budget to provide for education is key to addressing some of the other issues facing the communities.

"The state budget deals with out funding for K-12, higher education, and other post-secondary education opportunities," she said. "Getting our state's approach to education right is absolutely critical for our workforce of the future, and making sure our future generations have the opportunities that they need to succeed."

How to vote in the November election

Early in-person voting and absentee mail-in voting began Oct. 12. Early in-person voting includes the two Saturdays, the Sunday and the Monday before Election Day on Nov. 8.

Check with your local County Board of Elections to verify your polling place.

Though the deadline has passed for voter registration, you can still check your registration on the Ohio Secretary of State's website.

Contact Reporter Derek Kreider at DKreider@Gannett.com

This article originally appeared on Record-Courier: Kathleen Clyde challenging Gail Pavliga for 72nd District seat