Why We Are Running

We have a chance to change the conversation in our city and our party in the upcoming primary election on March 15th.

It’s important that you know why we, the Yes We Can Columbus candidates, are running. We are running, because we believe:

  • We can have a political culture that involves all of our neighborhoods.
  • We can have a party that values the voices and ideas of all people and gives our communities a stronger voice.
  • We can have a party that doesn’t rely on lobbyists and ultrawealthy donors.

We want good jobs and benefits for all residents, so everyone has a decent quality of life. We want working parents to be able to spend more time with their children and pay for basics needs like food, housing, health care and transportation. We want a vibrant local economy to support our entire business community. We want a $15 minimum wage.

We want a more democratic city and party. We want a party and city governance structure that is accountable to our neighborhoods and that supports lively and constructive debate. We want a modern Columbus City Council with a mix of at-large and district representation.

We want to strengthen the party’s relationship with neighborhoods and everyday people. Currently, developers, large corporate interests and lobbyists in Columbus have a stronger voice in local government than residents and neighborhoods. This leads to disengagement from our political process – a disengagement that was troublingly visible in voter turnout rates in the 2014 and 2015 election cycle. We want the Franklin County Democratic Party and its endorsed candidates to commit to supporting strict contribution limits for local campaigns.

Ultimately, we believe the county Democratic Party can come together around the principles of democracy, opportunity, racial justice and participation for all.

The Franklin County Democratic Party Central Committee election is happening on March 15, and we cannot afford to exclude residents and communities all across Columbus. It will take all of us coming together to strengthen our city and our party.if_not_us_who.jpg

Will you join us?

If we stand together, there is no limit to what we can accomplish. We can bring new possibilities to the political process. We can make real change.