What to know about Joyce Beatty, opponent Lee Stahley in Ohio's 3rd Congressional District
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In the race for the 3rd Congressional district, a relative political newcomer will take on a longtime incumbent who commands a high level of name recognition across central Ohio.
In the deeply blue district, U.S. Rep. Joyce Beatty, D-Columbus, has won the past five elections since voters first sent her to Capitol Hill in 2012. But Beatty's challenger, Republican Lee Stahley, an instructing licensed optician for the Ohio State University College of Optometry who has served on Whitehall City Council and is a member of the Franklin County GOP central committee, hopes to unseat her.
Both ran uncontested in the May primary.
The Dispatch recently reached out to both candidates to learn more about their platforms and plans if elected.
The incumbent
U.S. Rep. Joyce Beatty, D-Columbus
Background:
Beatty has represented Ohio's 3rd Congressional district, one of the state's few districts once gerrymandered to favor Democrats, since she was first elected to the open seat in 2012. Before that, she was a senior vice president at Ohio State University and spent five terms in the Ohio House, where she was the first woman to lead her party caucus.
Beatty is a member of both the Committee on Financial Services and also the Joint Economic Committee, and she chairs the Diversity and Inclusion subcommittee. Beatty chairs the Congressional Black Caucus, and is a member and co-chair of dozens of other caucuses and task forces.
Why Beatty says she's running for re-election and what she homes to accomplish in another term:
If reelected, Beatty said she would spend her two-year term working to codify Roe v. Wade to reinstate abortion rights. Amid concerns over how the U.S. Supreme Court's decision to overturn Roe v. Wade could affect other constitutional rights, Beaty joined all other Democrats in Ohio's congressional delegation — and four Republicans — in voting in July for a legislative measure that would enshrine federal protections for same-sex marriage and interracial marriage.
Also on Beatty's agenda is to work to protect Social Security and Medicare, pass universal pre-K that would make all Ohio children eligible for public preschool, restore monthly payments through the expanded Child Care Tax Credit, and protect voting rights and election reforms.
"I am running for reelection because I am proud of what we have been able to accomplish, but know there is much more to be done," Beatty said.
What does Beatty believe is her biggest accomplishment from her past term?
Beatty pointed to the Investment and Jobs Act, also known as the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, which she helped to pass in the House, as her biggest accomplishment of her past term. Signed into law in November 2021 by President Joe Biden, the $1.2 trillion infrastructure bill is intended to provide investments in roads, bridges, railways and pipelines while expanding access to clean drinking water and high-speed internet.
In Greater Columbus, Beatty recently joined the Coalition to End Tobacco Targeting in August to ask city government to pass legislation that would end the sale of menthol cigarettes and all flavored tobacco products. She also vowed action on police reform at the federal level in September after 20-year-old Donovan Lewis was fatally shot by a Columbus police officer.
What does Beatty think are the biggest issues facing her constituents or that matter most to them?
"While there are many issues we must tackle, I think the biggest issue facing my constituents is inflation and economic recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic," Beatty said. "I have worked to address these concerns through the Inflation Reduction Act and by working to support small and medium size businesses growth since the pandemic began."
The challenger
Background:
Stahley is listed as an optometric technician at Ohio State University, where, according to the biography on his official campaign website, he teaches students in the doctoral program.
He said he became interested in city politics because of his grandfather, Roger Stahley, who served two decades on Whitehall City Council.
A 2011 graduate of Whitehall Yearling High School, Stahley is himself is a former councilman in Whitehall. However, after being appointed to the council in January 2016 to fill an unexpired term, Stahley was unseated in the 2017 election after receiving 39% of the vote, according to ThisWeekNews.
Stahley's own grandfather swore him in after council members selected Stahley at the end of 2015.
"Growing up hearing my grandfather talk about politics always piqued my interest," Stahley said. "I first decided to throw my hat in the ring to be a council member because I felt there was change needed within the city."
Why Stahley says he's running for this office
Stahley said he is not a career politician, but a citizen who seeks to serve as the voice of the people of his district.
"I am running for congress for the same reason I first decided to run for city council," Stahley said. "Change is needed in Washington, the American people need a voice that represents them, not the highest campaign donor."
What does Stahley hope to accomplish if elected?
According to his campaign website, Stahley is running on a platform that includes reforming the health insurance industry to offer higher-quality, more-affordable health care; and regulating the ability of tech companies and social media platforms to moderate what is published on their websites.
But he also said that the two-year congressional term leaves not much time for a newcomer to get to work.
"I don't want to make endless promises and say that I am going to accomplish this and that, just to break them," Stahley said. "What I will do is work tirelessly at getting the ball rolling on the issues I think are the most important to the residents in district three."
What other issues does Stahley think are important?
Stahley is anti-abortion, but states on his website that the decision should be between a patient and a doctor, and that he believes the practice should be a last resort for mothers whose lives are at risk.
His website mentions his support for the LGBTQ community and, though he is opposed to teaching critical race theory, he still believes that should not be a matter for the federal government to intervene in at the local level. Stahley also stipulates his belief in strong national security through securing borders and taking tough action on China.
Stahley also said he believes in term limits for elected officials.
"If we keep the same individuals in office, we are completely dismissing the chance for change," Stahley said. "We won't have a free flow of ideas if we have the same people serving in office decade after decade."
What does Stahley believe is his biggest accomplishment while serving on Whitehall City Council?
Stahley touted his role in increasing Whitehall's police force and providing K9 units in the police division. Among other safety measure he said he helped establish, he said he also created a text-to-tip hotline for residents to send text messages to the police division letting them know about potential criminal activity.
"Safety was one of my biggest concerns as a city council member," Stahley said. "Safety is a large topic of interest right now ... We need to support our law enforcement, provide better equipment, training, and resources to get crime rates under control."
Alexander Amicucci is listed as an independent write-in candidate for the congressional seat.
elagatta@dispatch.com
@EricLagatta
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This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Ohio's 3rd Congressional District: Joyce Beatty vs. Lee Stahley
