Lillith Dunn and Rajshekhar Basu Sarkar
eSomethin staff
As election season comes to a close, many focus on national politics. With close congressional races in Ohio for both the house (Democrat Marcy Kaptur against Republican Derrick Merrin) and senate (Republican John Husted against Democrat Sherrod Brown), it can be hard to keep track of what is happening.
Local elections occurring in the northwest Ohio area are worth following.
Two candidates vie for Ohio House District 44
When people think about politics, they usually think about national politics, which can be incredibly divisive. Local politics, on the other hand, is often less centered on personal attacks and more on policy. A prime example of this is Ohio House District 44.
District 44 encompasses both rural areas and moderate sized cities. It is the district of Sylvania, Whitehouse, Sylvania Township, and Berkley. This particular House race is between David Fournier, a Whitehouse resident, and Ed Schimmel, the current Northwood mayor.
David Fournier, a citizen known for his videos about public education, said, “The thing that I’ve been most passionate about throughout the campaign is public education, so my goal is to be a public advocate for the education of the board.”
Fournier continued, “the state has consistently underfunded our schools, and by that they’ve shifted the burden of our education system to taxpayers and we are seeing that playout right now; Maumee, Springfield, Toledo and Sylvania are on the ballot for that.”
Often local politics is overlooked when it comes to national politics.
Fournier said that, “the national stuff is flashy and gets all the headlines but locally is where it gives the best returns/change.”
Fournier’s opponent, Ed Schimmel, said that if elected, “the first thing I’d like to work on is the reduction in property taxes.”
On his website, Schimmel advocates for “ending capital gains tax.” He also “supports the second amendment.”
Schimmel proposed a “civic literary requirement” on his website.
Both Schimel and Fournier emphasize public education and discuss plans to “fairly fund public schools.”
Two Perrysburg residents compete for Ohio House District 75
The 2026 midterm elections are as local as they can get as the close race for Ohio House District 75 nears its end.
District 75 is the Ohio House district for Perrysburg, and encompasses most of Wood County, excluding Rossford, Northwood, as well as a portion of Perrysburg Township.
Despite the district covering most of the largest county in Ohio, two Perrysburg locals are running for the spot, keeping the race close to home.
The incumbent for the race is Republican Haraz Ghanbari. Ghanbari was appointed to the role in 2019, and is currently in his third term.
Haraz Ghanbari
(eSomethin’ reached out to Haraz Ghanbari’s campaign, but did not receive a response by the time of publication.)
Before serving as a State Representative, Ghanbari had various jobs involving politics and military affairs.
Ghanbari earned a bachelor of science degree in Visual Journalism from Kent State, and later graduated from the United States Naval War College’s Command and Staff Program. Haraz then earned his master’s degree from the University of Toledo in 2019. He served in both the Army and Navy, and is still continuing his service as part of the Navy Reserve.
Ghanbari was a staff photojournalist for The Associated Press based in Washington, then went on to work at the University of Toledo as the Director of Military and Veteran Affairs. Ghanbari also briefly served on Perrysburg’s City Council, leaving the position in 2019 after his appointment to the State House.
During his time in the Ohio House, Ghanbari has served on various committees, such as the Arts, Athletics, and Tourism committee, as well as the Small Business committee. He has also sponsored and cosponsored various pieces of Ohio legislation. This legislation includes OH HB20 (which increases penalties for obstructing law enforcement) and OH HB23 (which created an escaped convicts alert program).
Rick Rettig
Rick Rettig, meanwhile, is a recently retired teacher and counselor from Perrysburg High School.
He attended Napoleon High School, and earned both a Bachelors in Communications as well as a Masters in School Counseling from Bowling Green State University. He taught at Wauseon High School for six years, then returned to college to earn his graduate degree. Rettig then began working at Perrysburg High School in 1999, before retiring in 2026.
Despite being recently retired, Rettig says he is excited to campaign for the Ohio House as the Democratic candidate.
“I’ve always had a personality that kind of runs towards problems to help people fix issues they can’t fix for themselves. . . . So, politics is how I’ve chosen to express that in my retirement,” he said.
Along with teaching, counseling and coaching at Perrysburg High School, Rettig has served on the Perrysburg City Council for six years, and is the current president. When combined with his 33 years of teaching experience, Rettig feels prepared for potentially serving as a State Representative.
Rettig said, “Working with families, that’s really what the state legislature does. I mean, I’ve worked with families in education. . . . My background on city council as well, knowing how government works, knowing how to get things done, I think is a strong qualifier for me to step up to the next level.”
There are several policy areas Rettig is focusing on for this election, which he described as “pillars”. His main goals are to help the education system in Ohio, protect rural communities and farmers, end corruption in Columbus, as well as establishing steps to make life easier for Ohio families.
Despite having run for a local office before, Rettig is in new territory with the House election, and has campaigned across the county seeking supporters.
“When I first ran for Perrysburg City Council, I did a lot of canvassing, and the second time I ran, I just said, ‘hey, do you want a yard sign?’ So, it was kind of hands off. I just felt like everybody knew me. . . . [Now] I wake up every day, and I canvass starting at 10 AM and start knocking on doors. The amount of foot traffic that I’ve had through this campaign, I’ve actually knocked on approximately 5,600 doors,” Rettig said.
Signs supporting each person can be found scattered across Perrysburg and the surrounding Wood County cities.
On this election day, Rettig strongly encourages teenagers to register and go out to the polls to show support.
“Young people have so much power. . . . The amount of power in a youth movement, a true youth movement, would tip the scales in this election. Whatever happens today, it will be your future that you’re going to live in tomorrow. So if you want to establish your future, there’s nothing more important than now, now is the most important moment in your life. . . . And so I would recommend that young people, express your attitudes, beliefs, not only through what you say, but also through your actions at the ballot box,” Rettig said.
No matter who wins the District 75 race, one thing is for sure: a Perrysburg local will have the power to shape Ohio’s legislation.
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