Summer in Ohio

A few thoughts on Mansfield, Ohio pride, and the best state in the country

There’s no bad time to be in Ohio, but I’ll admit I especially love summers in the Buckeye state.

Guardians games. Kids at the public pool. County fairs starting to set up. Cookouts with the whole family that stretch into the night.

I hope you’ve gotten a chance to experience some of that as the weather warms up. I’m looking forward to summer more than ever. The energy of people being out and about. The feeling that, for a moment, we can all unplug and remember what’s really important.

For me, that’s Ohio.

I love this place.

You might be tired of hearing me say it, but I can’t help myself. I’m an Ohioan through and through.

I grew up in Mansfield, a blue-collar city full of hardworking families. I spent summers helping on my family’s farm. I went to baseball games. And I learned early what it meant to come from a place where people worked hard, looked out for each other, and didn’t ask for much except a fair shot.

I learned just as much from the workers who were the backbone of Mansfield and so many towns like it across our state.

But as I grew up, it was hard to watch what happened to Mansfield and so many Ohio communities. Manufacturing jobs shipped overseas. Wages that stopped keeping up while costs kept climbing. People who had done everything right and were still told to settle for less and be grateful.

That’s one reason I’ve spent my life fighting for Ohio. Because I believe in the simple idea that hard work should pay off.

If you put in an honest day’s work, you ought to be able to support your family, afford your health care, fill up your tank, and sleep at night without wondering if one surprise bill is going to ruin you financially.

That shouldn’t be too much to ask for. It should be the bare minimum.

And yet here we are, in a country where working families are told to tighten their belts while billionaires and Washington insiders keep getting tax breaks and favors.

That’s not right. And to be honest, I’m sick of it.

It’s why I’m in this fight.

Because Ohioans from Youngstown to Columbus to Dayton deserve a system that actually works for them. They deserve a government that actually makes their lives better.

Folks feel like the system is rigged. And they’re right.

But I know Ohio can fight back.

Ohioans are showing up. They’re insisting on change. They’re demanding a senator who will work for Ohio. Not for the utility companies, the drug companies, the insurance companies, or for big oil. Someone who will be on Ohio’s side.

Together, we’re going to win. And I’m in this fight with you, alongside you, every step of the way.

Because when you love this country, you fight for the people who make it work.

I’d be honored to have you with me.

This campaign has been a people-powered effort from the beginning. Folks from all 88 Ohio counties have chipped in, and 63,244 Ohioans have already contributed to this campaign. Some have given a few dollars. Some have given more. I’m grateful for every bit of it.

I know Ohio is in this fight with me.

And as we head toward the end of the month, I’ll be honest: We’ve set a big goal. We need to raise $1 million by the end of May to keep building this grassroots campaign the right way.

If you’re able to chip in, I’d be grateful for your support.

Stand with the thousands of people who are ready to give workers a voice in this country again. Stand with the folks who are sick and tired of a rigged system that rewards the wealthy and well-connected.

And if you can’t afford to give right now, I understand. I’ll still fight for you. I’m still grateful you’re here.

In solidarity,

Sherrod