2019 Endorsed Candidates

Columbus

Tiffany White

Columbus City Council

Tiffany White is running for Columbus City Council to make sure our city is working for the many, not the few.

Yes We Can is proud to have endorsed leaders like Tiffany White to Columbus City Council. She has the courage and determination to challenge the establishment, including a Council stacked with appointed members who are heavily influenced by corporate interests. Tiffany is ready to fight back for a Columbus that belongs to all of us.
 
Tiffany is a homegrown community leader. She is a single mom who has spent over a decade volunteering her service to our city, as chair of the North Central Area Commission and member of the Mayor’s Safety Advisory Committee, and as an advocate for the working people from North Central.
 
Tiffany understands the challenges that working families in Columbus are facing, because she’s faced them too. Like many others in Central Ohio, Tiffany’s family has struggled with the drug epidemic. After the heartbreak of watching her daughter fall victim to addiction, Tiffany took custody of her four young grandchildren. Disappointed by the lack of available public resources, Tiffany became a fierce advocate for her grandkids and for the thousands of people just like her who have stepped in to support loved ones during the opioid crisis.
 
Tiffany wants to divest from criminalization and mass incarceration and invest in jobs, housing, healthcare, education, and community-based justice solutions outside of the police & prison system. She has pushed for a citizens’ review board to hold police accountable and ensure police are not investigating themselves in cases of misconduct.
 
Tiffany is committed to stop gentrification and displacement. She knows that communities, not corporations, should be prioritized for tax breaks and revitalization programs. In addition to building truly affordable housing, she wants to implement tax abatements for low-income senior residents to ensure they can remain in their homes.
 
Tiffany wants to end tax abatements for luxury developers to invest in quality public schools in all neighborhoods, after-school programs, and internship opportunities.

A vote for Tiffany is a vote for a Columbus that belongs to all of us!
 

Tiffany has been endorsed by organizations including the national Working Families Party, the Baptist Ministerial Alliance, Yes We Can: Columbus Working Families, and the National Association of Social Workers.

Liliana Rivera Baiman

Columbus City Council

Liliana Rivera Baiman is running for City Council as a voice for working families, and Yes We Can is proud to endorse her.
 
Lili is a former DREAMer, working mother, and labor and immigrant rights organizer. Born in Mexico, Lili and her family immigrated to the U.S. in 1991. She has spent her entire career fighting for workers’ and immigrants’ rights in the social justice and labor movements. Lili takes on big money and big power daily and will be a relentless advocate for the needs of working people and our communities.
 

As a Council member, Lili will fundamentally challenge the system with big, bold ideas. Lili has often needed to work harder, reach higher, and dream bigger than others in order to get the same opportunities, and she knows what it takes to establish a united front to achieve transformative wins. Here are just a few of her bold proposals:

Lili believes everyone deserves one good job, which means strong unions, higher wages, better benefits, paid parental leave, and universal childcare-including municipal childcare from 6 weeks. She is calling on the City to require community benefits agreements and expand good jobs through insourcing and expansion of city services.

Lili will make sure Columbus works for all of us, especially when it comes to quality education and affordable housing. Lili will prioritize working families over developers. Lili knows tax abatements drain our city budget and public schools of funding and should not go to wealthy corporations who don’t need them.

Lili understands we’re stronger when we’re connected. Columbus residents shouldn’t need a car to thrive. Lili wants to make public transit free, expand traditional bus and bus rapid transit, add light rail, and improve our infrastructure for cyclists and pedestrians—to the benefit of residents and the environment.

Lili will protect all of our communities. She is calling for Columbus to become a sanctuary city and is prepared to build the coalition to make that happen. Lili will also work to end the school to prison pipeline and make sure Columbus police departments serve justice not violence.

A vote for Lili is a vote for a Columbus for the many, not the few!

Lili’s campaign has been endorsed by organizations including AFSCME Council 8, IUPAT District 6, National Working Families Party, Columbus Education Association, Chicago Midwest Regional Joint Board, Workers United, Vote Mama, Run For Something, the Democratic Socialists of America, The Matriots, National Association of Social Workers, Bold Progressives, Columbus DSA, Franklin County Greens, Vote Pro Choice, and OSU Young DSA.

Joe Motil

Columbus City Council

Joe Motil is running for Columbus City Council and has the political courage to enact progressive change. Yes We Can is proud to endorse him.
 
Joe has spent his career fighting for working people. As a long-time union member and lifelong resident, Joe has watched rich neighborhoods get richer while poor and middle class people get priced out of their neighborhoods. He is running to make life better for working class families – that means passing policies to end tax abatements for wealthy corporations, increase truly affordable housing, guarantee good-paying jobs, and fully fund public education.
 
Joe is a real voice for working people. He has made a pledge not to take any corporate money, and he’s not afraid to dig in his heels and say no to developers and CEOs looking for handouts. Joe has demonstrated the political courage that he won’t bend to party leaders, high-powered lobbyists or wealthy donors. Community leaders across Columbus have worked with him and vouch for his integrity as someone who fights for us.
 
Joe knows how to work hard and fight hard. As a construction worker, Joe raked and hammered concrete throughout the city. As a neighborhood leader, he’s at City Hall more often than City Councilmembers. Joe served as Zoning Chair of the University Area Commission where he combatted slumlord code enforcement issues and demolitions. As president of the Tuttle Park Community Recreation Council, he helped transform the park into a wonderful public space and recreation center.
 
Joe wants to invest in our neighborhoods and schools. He is committed to ending tax abatements that benefit wealthy corporations at the expense of our communities that most need funding. He will combat gentrification and displacement and is proposing a $250 million voter approved bond package for affordable housing. Joe also wants to require developers to include at least 20% of new units as affordable to low-moderate income folks.
 
Joe believes in a Columbus where working people don’t just have a seat at the table - we control the table. Vote Joe Motil on Nov 5th!

Joe has been endorsed by Yes We Can: Columbus Working Families, the Columbus Education Association, the National Association of Social Workers, the A. Phillip Randolph Institute, the Coalition of Black Trade Unionists, the national Working Families Party, and the Coalition of Labor Union Women.

Kimberley Mason

Columbus City Schools Board of Education

Kimberley is a CCS parent, south side PTO president, and a committed advocate for our schools. She knows the School Board needs to step up and get to work for our teachers and students. She’s promised to fight for an end to the corporate handouts that take money away from our schools, and to reinvest tens of thousands back into our schools. Kimberley is running to set a standard of real dignity and justice in our schools.

Kimberley knows we can do more for our kids.
  • She wants quality public education to be a city-wide priority. She’s committed to ensuring our schools and neighborhoods are prioritized in the budget, and that all kids are benefiting from the growth and development happening throughout Columbus.
  • She will lobby the Statehouse for more resources so we can start delivering on our promises as a district.
  • She will lobby against any tax deal that would take money away from our schools, and is committed to making sure luxury developers pay their fair share to invest in our students.
Kimberley wants parents and teachers to control the table.
 
  • Kimberley supports the Columbus Education Association’s agenda to build a #ColumbusStudentsDeserve. That means higher pay, smaller class sizes, and an end to corporate tax breaks that hurt our schools.
  • As president of the Stewart Elementary PTO, she’s seen the difference it makes when parents and teachers are the ones calling the shots. She increased parent involvement by 10%; she is meeting parents where they are and finding unique ways for them to get involved and ensure their voices are heard.

Kim is a relentless advocate for all students.

  • Kimberley knows we can’t foster quality learning environments for our kids and teachers at the expense of their basic human rights. Kim wants school facilities that are clean, safe, and temperature-controlled, a culture of trauma-informed care, and a district-wide commitment to end the school-to-prison pipeline.
  • Kimberley knows that kids from different neighborhoods have different needs. In her role as PTO President, Kim has worked with families from all backgrounds and income levels to make sure parents, teachers, staff, and community stakeholders are all working together to create a learning environment that meets the unique needs of each student.
A vote for Kimberley is a vote for the schools our students deserve!

Kimberley is endorsed by Yes We Can, The Matriots, Run for Something, The National Association of Social Workers, the national Working Families Party, and the Baptist Ministerial Alliance.

Other cities

Charlie Wilson

Worthington School Board

Charlie is a fierce advocate for quality schools and has served on the board for 12 years. He is committed to focusing on students’ strengths and passions so that students come to school excited about learning. He insists on increasing the number of school counselors, mental health specialists, and social workers. Charlie promotes policies to reduce racial disparities and suspensions. He supports a $15 minimum wage for all school employees and charter school accountability. Vote Charlie Wilson for Worthington School Board!

Merisa Bowers

Gahanna City Council

Merisa is committed to transparency and government accountability. She plans to stop unnecessary tax breaks for developers and promote environmentally sustainable development. Merisa also seeks to pass laws to ensure fairness in employment and housing for everyone in Gahanna and to implement more equitable appointment processes to increase diversity on boards and commissions. Merisa is also a member of Yes We Can! Vote Merisa Bowers for Gahanna City Council.

Kevin Kemper

Pickerington City Council

Kevin is focused on improving the safety and health of city residents by creating more bike paths and sidewalks, creating a vibrant downtown, and broadening Pickerington’s tax base. He also plans to propose anti-discrimination legislation, the promotion of alternative energy options, and measures to improve police and community relations. Vote Kevin Kemper for Pickerington City Council!

Tezlyn Reardon

Pickerington School Board

Tezlyn is a mother with a son in the Pickerington district, and she is committed to more practical, hands-on learning opportunities, a $15/hr minimum wage for all employees of the school district, and charter school accountability. She will oppose tax abatements that do not benefit the school district. Vote Tezlyn Reardon for Pickerington School Board!

Jeff Buskirk

Grove City City Council

Jeff is primarily committed to combating climate change, recognizing its greatest impact will fall on the poor. In addition to requiring solar panels on all new construction, he will offer rebates for low and middle income residents. Jeff is advocating for low cost housing, improved public transit, more green spaces, and wetland marshes to help clean Grove City’s streams. He also wants to see more police training and accountability. Vote Jeff Buskirk for Grove City City Council!

How to vote:

 There are several different ways you can vote in Franklin County. You can vote absentee by mail, in person absentee early, or in person on the day of the election on November 5, 2019.
 
To request an absentee ballot or to find your polling location, check out the Franklin County Board of Elections website here or call (614) 525-3100.
 

In-person early voting begins October 8