Democrat Nathaniel Adams and Republican Heidi Workman facing off for 72nd House district seat

Democrat Nathaniel Adams and Republican Heidi Workman will both appear on the November ballot as candidates for the 72nd House district, which covers all of Portage County but the cities of Aurora and Streetsboro and Mantua Township.

Nathaniel Adams

Adams is employed by State and Federal Communications, an Akron firm that assists organizations and companies maintain compliance with government regulations. He is a former AmeriCorps Vista staffer for the Greater Cleveland Food Bank.

The Portage County sheriff recently encouraged his supporters to record the names and addresses of Harris/Walz supporters so immigrants, which he likened to a horde of “locusts,” would know where to find their new families. Do you feel that Portage County is a welcoming place for immigrants? Do special steps need to be taken, either to welcome or dissuade immigrants? What would those steps look like?

“I do believe we are a welcoming place for immigrants and all people, and we should be. I also believe there needs to be steps so we can be more welcoming.”

“What this sheriff said not only affected immigrants, but also affected all of our residents, businesses and other opportunities in this area. If we are going to be truly a united community and be able to move past this kind of division and hate, we need to stop this type of toxic rhetoric that keeps coming from our elected officials. It has no place in elections and it certainly does not befit an elected official.”

What is your take on the recent news and controversy surrounding the PCSO? What would you do to address the matter?

“Political violence has absolutely no place in our elections, and that includes voter intimidation and political punishment. What the Portage County sheriff said in that Facebook post was disgusting. It was racist.”

“For him to then double down and say, ‘Oh, I represent all of Portage County,’ then act like it. If you’re elected into office, you represent the people who either didn’t vote for you or did vote for you.”

“When you go out and promote this type of toxicity and racism to try to affect an election result, there’s no reason for that, and it absolutely does not and should not be used in our elections. We have done a very good job of calling it out as we should.”

“I’m going to make sure that with this county sheriff, people know this did not start with this Facebook post. This is the type of unethical and corrupt practices that he has been engaged in pretty much since he took office.”

“I would push for legislation in the state legislature to hold local officials like this accountable for their actions. The people who can hold the sheriff accountable are choosing not to. They’re turning a blind eye to this.”

“I want to make sure that the people that enable him, that are around him, are also held accountable. The amount of times that the people of Portage County have reported this sheriff to the attorney general, and it has fallen on tone-deaf ears, is beyond outrageous. Knowing that the attorney general attends this sheriff’s events proves why he’s not doing anything about it.”

With the latest revaluations, property taxes across Portage County are going up about 15%, and that’s just on inside millage. Our county auditor and treasurer have called for state legislators to fully implement and fund the Fair School Funding Plan, to loosen qualifications for the Homestead Exemption tax break and to revise HB 920, which they say unfairly places a burden on property owners. Do you support those measures? Would you introduce legislation to address these issues?

“This is a state issue. This is not a county issue, so it is up to the state legislature to address it. I want to make sure that when I go to the state legislature, that we do extend that Homestead tax exemption so more people will qualify. They can get a better tax exemption on their property taxes, so it would help them save a ton of money and not face the extreme effects of these property taxes.”

“The other thing I would do is make sure that our K-12 public schools are not solely funded on property taxes. That has been one of the other major reasons property taxes went up so much. That needs to change.”

Affordable public housing for low-income working people, people with disabilities and senior citizens is all but nonexistent in Portage County. Is there a way the state can help?

“The state can help by addressing this housing crisis that is spreading throughout the state of Ohio. Even right here in Portage County we have had a housing crisis where the housing demand has been too high for the amount of houses that are available. We need to first make sure that we address this housing crisis to really meet the demand.”

“Two, going back to these property taxes, we need to make sure that they are addressed properly, so that people, particularly retirees, can be helped and not only afford the homes they want, but not be driven out of the homes they have held for most of their lives.”

Public transportation is sorely lacking throughout Portage County, to the point that people cannot count on it to get to and from work and school in a timely manner. Do you see the state helping on this issue?

“There needs to be more funding for public transportation. That should never be in question. You should be able to rely on the public transportation system. Unfortunately, public transportation is not funded properly. It’s not supported. It’s not expanded. It’s essentially left to try to expand on its own without any support from the state. That’s not OK.”

“We need to make sure our busing system is up to date, so we could have more buses, properly trained bus drivers and more routes. Also, we need to make sure that our roads, our rails and bridges are properly maintained and repaired, because when you don’t have funding to repair potholes in your roads or on your bridges, they are not safe for vehicles.”

Where do you stand on the issue of women’s reproductive health and rights?

“Women’s reproductive rights are absolutely something we must protect. Last November, Ohio voted overwhelmingly to enshrine women’s reproductive rights in the state constitution, and right here in Portage County, we voted over 60% to enshrine those rights into the state constitution.”

“This is a pro-reproductive health care state. End of story. The fact that the legislature has gone out of its way to prevent that amendment from being implemented is absolutely disgusting. It’s outrageous. They should be respecting the voters’ decision on the issues.”

“The first thing I’m going to do is make sure this legislature actually enshrines it, allows the amendment to be implemented into the state constitution. And any attempts by the legislature to pass bans on reproductive rights, or restrictions, I will make sure to oppose.”

Ohio voters voted to legalize recreational marijuana. It’s been a year, yet the state legislature has not codified the law. What are your thoughts, and what would you do to respect the voters’ wishes?

“I supported the legalization of recreational marijuana because, not only do I believe it would help decrease the amount of incarcerations in our state, it would also help those who have been convicted of marijuana charges or felonies to be able to move on and get work, get education and live their lives without having that felony on their records. I would push this legislature to actually implement the law.”

State voters will soon decide on a measure to address gerrymandering. Your district borders could well change. What is your take on the ballot measure?

“I’ve always said that gerrymandering is absolutely not a part of our system. It does not represent the vote properly. We should be having fair districts, whether it be state House, state Senate or U.S. House. Fair districts are a right for the people, so the voters pick the politicians, not the politicians pick the voters.”

Heidi Workman

Workman owns a horse farm in Rootstown. She has a background in corporate marketing, healthcare, small business and grassroots activism.

The Portage County sheriff recently encouraged his supporters to record the names and addresses of Harris/Walz supporters so immigrants, which he likened to a horde of “locusts,” would know where to find their new families. Do you feel that Portage County is a welcoming place for immigrants? Do special steps need to be taken, either to welcome or dissuade immigrants? What would those steps look like?

“America has always been a welcoming place for those who want to legally come here for the right reasons. We welcome people who want to follow the law, be productive citizens and assimilate into our American culture, which includes speaking English.”

“What has been frustrating to most citizens in Portage County and beyond, especially in the past few years, are the increased numbers of people who are here illegally. I would support deporting those who are here illegally.”

What is your take on the recent news and controversy surrounding the PCSO? What would you do to address the matter?

“The sheriff is an elected official that answers to the voters of Portage County. The last thing we want is for the state or federal government to be interfering in matters that can be handled by the residents of our county.”

With the latest revaluations, property taxes across Portage County are going up about 15%, and that’s just on inside millage. Our county auditor and treasurer have called for state legislators to fully implement and fund the Fair School Funding Plan, to loosen qualifications for the Homestead Exemption tax break and to revise HB 920, which they say unfairly places a burden on property owners. Do you support those measures? Would you introduce legislation to address these issues?

“Advancing property tax relief will be my top priority if elected as state representative. I also support expanding the Homestead program and implementing the Fair School Funding Plan to ensure our schools are funded in a fair, thorough and constitutional way.”

“There are currently 39 bills addressing these topics in the state legislature, some of which I am still hopeful will be moved forward in the lame duck session. If they don’t pass this time, I will find and support the best of those bills next year.”

Affordable public housing for low income working people, people with disabilities and senior citizens is all but nonexistent in Portage County. Is there a way the state can help?

“Federal funding can be drawn down to supplement the state’s low-income housing program through the Low-Income Housing Tax Credit. But first, I would support placing citizenship requirements on moving into these taxpayer funded units. Those restrictions are not currently in place at the federal level but are being considered at the state level.”

Public transportation is sorely lacking throughout Portage County, to the point that people cannot count on it to get to and from work and school in a timely manner. Do you see the state helping on this issue?

“Public transportation will not be as effective in Portage County’s rural areas as it might be in the cities. However, I intend to be involved in transportation and workforce development issues, including trying to address a shortage of CDL-licensed drivers in Portage County, in coordination with county public services.”

Where do you stand on the issue of women’s reproductive health and rights?

“Women must be able to make their own health decisions, and Ohio voters amended our state’s constitution last November with specific language about abortion. I hold pro-life beliefs and am looking forward to engaging in respectful debate about protecting life and ensuring that all women have the right to make their own health decisions.”

“We need to focus on protecting both rights and the liberty of women’s bodily autonomy. The life of the unborn is not being fully represented in the abortion discussion.”

Ohioans voted to legalize recreational marijuana. Where do you stand on this issue, and that nearly a year after voters approved legalization, state legislators have not fully codified the new law?

“I have no issue with Issue 2. It’s already been passed. I believe it has to move forward. What adults do on their own time is their business, as long as it is not a threat to the safety and security of others.”

State voters will soon decide on a measure to address gerrymandering. Your district borders could well change. What is your take on the ballot measure?

“There are many reasons to vote against Issue 1, but most notably, the proposed constitutional amendment would provide an unlimited taxpayer funded budget to a commission of unaccountable bureaucrats who will draw gerrymandered districts for Ohio.” (Editor’s note: You can read an explanation of Issue 1 here.)

“The reality of Ohio is that Democrats typically win big majorities in the bigger urban counties, and Republicans typically do well in the rural counties. Issue 1 would enshrine gerrymandering into our state constitution by requiring the commission to draw odd-looking districts to help Democrats win more seats in rural counties.”