IBERIA — Ohio gubernatorial candidate Mary Taylor spoke about her rise to the top of the Ohio political ladder at the Morrow County Lincoln Day Dinner last Monday.
Taylor described her humble beginnings in the Akron, Ohio area. She said her father had polio and despite this affliction, worked hard to insure his family would have a good future.
Taylor was the first in her family to attend college and graduated from the University of Akron with a bachelors degree in accounting and a masters degree in taxation. She is the first CPA in Ohio’s history to hold the position of State Auditor.
The first elected position Taylor held was on city council. She got involved when local regulations were keeping her church from building on property they owned.
As state representative she stood up to her own party and refused to vote for tax increases they proposed. As a result she said she was stripped of her position on the finance committee in the House of Representatives.
Under Gov. Ted Strickland she predicted Ohio’s $8 billion budget shortfall and as Lieutenant Governor she has worked to pass tax reform that reduced the state personal income taxes by 21 percent.
Taylor proudly claimed her status as a “winner” in politics. She was the only Republican to win in the “blue wave” in a deeply Democrat district in her first election to the general assembly. She was also the only Republican to win statewide as auditor in a landslide year for Democrats in 2006.
She mentioned the good economy in Ohio where she helped bring back many jobs and briefly noted the “tremendous drug problem of opioids” in the state.
Some goals Taylor would like to accomplish if elected are to balance the state budget, to have a market based rather than a government based healthcare system and to get rid of Common Core. She would like to have control in schools returned to local districts.
“I would like to see people have a choice between attending an academic or trade school,” Taylor said.
Taylor emphasized that she would plan to have conservative principles in governing. She said DeWine on the other had is “centrist” with a “go along to get along” philosophy. Taylor and Mike DeWine will be the two choices for Republicans in the governor’s race at the May 8 primary election.
Thirteen other Republican candidates for state office and five county candidates also spoke to the crowd of almost 200 Republicans at the Presidents’ Day Dinner held at Northmor High School.
Carolyn Beal served as Master of Ceremonies and the Northmor “Knight Sounds” entertained. Other participants were: Dan Osborne, Kim Bood, Larry Harden, Pat Davies, Brenda Harden, Jean Bane, Bruce Lanker, Walt Nelson, Dr. Stephen Ritz, Patsy Wenger, and Les Wenger.
