Candidate Profile

Jamie Dixon is running for President of Lima City Council. The election is in November, but volunteers are already needed: to volunteer, write letters, canvass, and host parties to meet people.

If you’d like to help out, contact Jamie at 419-302-5260. You can also donate to the campaign: Checks can be made out to “Elect Dixon Committee” and sent to 498 McPheron Ave, Lima OH 45804.

We asked Jamie about his commitment to Lima and what he’ll do as President of City Council. Here’s what he said:

“When I ran five years ago for Lima City Council, it was because I had returned home after college to the neighborhood I grew up in. My parents bought their home in the South End of Lima when I was six – it’s the same house my father was born and raised in, and my parents still live there.

“But I realized that the neighborhood had changed. Homeowners had moved out, left Lima or downsized. It was no longer a family-oriented neighborhood.

“As the 5^th Ward Councillor over the past five years, I have tried to create a safe neighborhood. That has meant bringing down blight and providing better lighting and curbs. I’m the Council appointee to the Lima Community Improvement Corporation, which works to rebuild the City.

“I want to continue that goal of bringing down blight, as well as saving homes and structures that still have good quality bones. Growing the city and stabilizing the economy also means bringing back jobs with liveable wages. A person with a liveable wage can go from renter to homeowner. The end goal is restoring Lima pride.”

“As President of Council, I would bring fresh ideas and energy. The President of Council should be transparent and active in the community. We need a leader who gets out of the office, meets people where they are, and makes them welcome in our community.

“Now is the time to have a leader who is young, innovative, and qualified. I have a Master’s in Public Administration and have worked in social services for many years. I’ve worked with elderly populations, people who are differently abled, and people with substance use disorders.

“I’m inclusive and welcoming, and I’m able to articulate in a way that gets people up and out and active. Most of all, I hope people see me in a light that they can recognize or see themselves in.”

This year, open offices include mayor, council, township trustee, and school board. Consider running – or helping others with their campaigns.

Here’s an overview of how to run.

Filing deadlines

In order to run, candidates must file with the Board of Elections and present a certain number of signatures (generally 25-50).

There are two different filing deadlines:

• February 1 was the deadline to file with the Board of Elections to run with a party affiliation (i.e. as a Democrat for Council)
• August 9 is the filing deadline for non-partisan positions (School Board/ Township Trustee) or to run as an Independent for Council.

Here’s the Secretary of State’s calendar.

Open positions

Here’s a summary of open positions for Allen County, from the Board of Elections.  More details on individual positions is here: https://lookup.boe.ohio.gov/vtrapp/allen/cnm.aspx

For Hardin County, see the attached document from the Board of Elections:

More Hardin details are in the database listing all positions (look at next election date to see the ones currently up): https://lookup.boe.ohio.gov/vtrapp/hardin/cnm.aspx

Advice and help

Tell local County Democratic Chairs that you’re running. Mike Hubbell is Chair for Hardin County (419-673-6346) and Rochelle Twining for Allen County (allenohdems@gmail.com). They have a wealth of knowledge. They can also advise you on the filing forms, which can be tricky. 

Many AHEAD members have run for office or served in these positions. They’re generally glad to describe the process. (Contact ahead.oh@gmail.com for contacts.)

Filing forms are available on the Secretary of State’s website. You can also contact the Board of Elections for Allen and Hardin Counties.

And! Statewide groups are eager to provide advice on running a campaign. These groups include LEAD Ohio and the Ohio Democratic Party’s Main Street Initiative. 

AHEAD sponsored a Pro-Democracy Rally in Lima at the Veterans Freedom Flag Monument on January 6th, 2022. Below are links to the transcripts from several of the speeches made at the rally, so that those who were not able to attend can still read the moving words.

Dr. Bill Angel spoke about the guarantees our Constitution gives for posterity—all those generations of Americans that followed the Founders and the generations to come.

Maha Zehery of the Lima Interfaith Council spoke movingly of democracy from her experience as a naturalized citizen and a decades-long Lima resident.

Dr. Perry Bush spoke about the fragility of democracy and how we can uphold it.

Rev. Brett Kelly offered a prayer.

Thank you to all of them!

• Opening Prayer – Rev. Brett Kelly
• Founders Understood Fragility of Democracy – Perry Bush
• The Constitution of the United States and Hope for Liberty – Bill Angel
• Celebrating True Democracy in USA – Maha Zehery

You can also see media coverage of the event, from WLIO and the Lima News.

Let’s keep standing up for democracy!

Members of the public are invited to a rally to celebrate democracy.

The rally will be 1:30-2:15 pm on Thursday January 6, 2021, at the Veterans Freedom Flag Monument, 1191 Buckeye Rd, Lima. This event is family-friendly, non-violent, and non-partisan.

The agenda is:

• Rev. Brett Miller (non denominational prayer) 
• Dr. Perry Bush (Bluffton University): History of our democracy
• Dr. Bill Angel (Ohio State Lima): Bill of Rights
• Maha Zehery: Living in a free country
• Nancy Briggs: Cooperation in politics
• Music from Crystal Dillard and Wendy Chappell-Dick           

“We are blessed to have a democracy,” said AHEAD Leadership Team member and event organizer Rochelle Twining. “We must make sure that democratic principles are understood and upheld throughout our society and government.”

A Facebook event for the rally is available here: https://fb.me/e/32juRvylH

It is organized by local group Allen and Hardin for Election Action & Democracy (AHEAD). AHEAD is a citizen advocacy group composed of Allen and Hardin County residents committed to nonviolent action for democracy.

Join your AHEAD friends for this week’s outdoor event! We will be gathering at 6 p.m. on Wednesday, September 1 at the Bluffton Democrat Lair (216 W. Elm St in Bluffton). We will sign redistricting postcards, hear from candidates (all welcome) and share activities and ideas. Mexican Street Tacos have been ordered for dinner, but please bring your own drinks. After the meeting will be the music! At 7pm there will be a singalong of labor songs, led by Wendy Chappell-Dick (part of Bluffton’s Town Hall Music Series).

Facebook Event for the 6 p.m. AHEAD meeting: September AHEAD Meeting

Details for the 7 p.m. sing-along can be found in the Facebook Event: Bread & Roses Labor Song Sing-Along

Who: AHEAD members and friends

What: Our IN-PERSON June AHEAD meeting will be outdoors and follow CDC guidelines. Feel free to bring food to share, but that is completely optional! Please bring a lawn chair (or two, if you have an extra available).

When: Tuesday, June 22 at 6:30 p.m.

Where: The Bluffton Lair, 218 E. Elm St., Bluffton

Why: Gathering to celebrate Biden’s victory and our accomplishments over the past year, and to plan for the future!

Facebook event: AHEAD June Meeting

(Updated May 24)

Let’s continue to bring positive change to Allen and Hardin! In November 2021, residents will elect new leaders for Town and Village Councils, School Boards, and Townships. Consider running for local political office or helping others campaign. The next filing deadline is August 4, and petition signatures will be needed, so the time to act is now! 

Step One: Choose Your Position!

If you file by August 4, you can run for:

• School Board
• Township Trustee
• Council member in non-partisan races (e.g. Delphos, Beaverdam).

Here’s a quick overview of some of those races in Allen County. All elected positions can be found on the Board of Elections websites for Allen County and Hardin County. AHEAD has also created PDF summaries of all positions up for election in 2021 for each county: Allen County positions up for election 11/2021 and Hardin County positions up for election 11/2021.

….Or Help Others Run

We’ve passed the deadline to run for some offices in Hardin and Allen Counties (except as a write-in candidate). Those offices include Mayor and Council in Lima and Council in Kenton, Lima, Bluffton, and Ada. However, you can still help with candidates’ campaigns. Here’s a quick summary of who has filed in Ada, Bluffton, and Kenton. In Lima, the big race is for Mayor.

Step Two: Reach Out to Local Organizers
If you’re interested in running, local groups will help you get all of the information you need. They can also help with petition signatures. In order to run, candidates must gather a certain number of signatures (generally 25-50)

• Allen County: Contact Beth Sutton-Ramspeck by email (ahead.oh@gmail.com)
• Hardin County: Contact Mike Hubbell by phone (419-673-6346) or email (r.michael.hubbell@gmail.com)

Step 3: Learn About Process and Deadlines

Local organizers can help you with the process. Some key elements: You’ll pick up petitions (signature forms) from the Board of Elections (Allen County, Hardin County). The deadline to submit these forms is August 4, but they can be tricky, so it’s good to do it ahead of time and get extra signatures.

For School Board, Township Trustee, and the remaining open Council positions, you can get signatures from any registered voter (doesn’t have to be a Democrat).

The big deadlines:

• August 4: Deadline to file with Board of Elections if you are running for a non-partisan position (e.g. School Board/ Township Trustee)
• November 2: Election Day

More details: Ohio Secretary of State calendar

Elected representatives who do not reflect our views: unfortunately, we all have them. New district maps will be drawn this year, and they will last for the next decade. How can we help make sure the process of redistricting is fair?

This question will be the focus of tomorrow’s AHEAD meeting, held virtually. Redistricting is so important that there are two events scheduled for tomorrow night.

Here’s the scoop for Wednesday, April 21:

• Consider attending the 6:00 p.m. League of Women Voters of Ohio virtual event: “Race & Redistricting: The Voting Rights Act & Ohio Mapmaking” BEFORE our AHEAD event.
• Join AHEAD members afterward, at 7 p.m., to discuss what was learned during the LWV event and how AHEAD can help. Holly Norton, League of Women Voters & AHEAD member, will facilitate the discussion. **Please note start time of AHEAD meeting has been changed to 7:00 p.m. due to the LWV event.** For the Zoom link to the 7 p.m. AHEAD meeting, please refer to this week’s AHEAD newsletter or visit the Facebook invite.

We hope to see you there!

The next (virtual) AHEAD Meeting will be this Wednesday, March 17, 6:30-7:30 p.m. We’ll have a half hour of learning, and a half hour of socializing!

First up will be a panel discussion, “Elected Officials Share How to Run for Office.” Our panelists will talk about local office: Council, Township Trustee, and School Board.

Panelists include:

• Sheila Coressel (Ada Council)
• Ben Stahl (Bluffton Council)
• Peggy Ehora (ex-Lima School Board, Lima Council)
• Daryl Flowers (Goshen Township Trustee)

Facebook invitation can be found here.

An overview of running for office can also be found on the AHEAD website: Run for Office in 2021!

We look forward to seeing you there!

Join AHEAD friends on Wednesday, December 16, 6:30-8:00 p.m., for a holiday celebration via Zoom!

It has been a long year, but there’s a lot to celebrate. AHEAD friends will gather (virtually) to chat and connect before the New Year. Bring something to eat and drink, wear your festive attire, and let’s toast to 2021 and good things to come!

For additional details and the Zoom link, please see the Facebook invitation. We hope to see you there!