CINCINNATI — Democratic candidate Samantha Meadows and Republican candidate David Taylor are facing off for Ohio's 2nd Congressional District seat.
Meadows and Taylor — who are both political newcomers — are vying to fill incumbent Brad Wenstrup's seat after Wenstrup announced in November 2023 that he would not be seeking reelection. Wenstrup, who has served six terms, said "the frantic pace of Washington" had kept him away from his family, and he was ready to change that.
The 2nd Congressional District is made up of several Ohio counties, including all of Adams, Brown, Clermont, Clinton and Highland counties.
Here's what you need to know about the candidates:
Samantha Meadows
While Meadows has never held office, this is her second time running for Ohio's 2nd Congressional District, losing against Wenstrup in 2022.
Meadows grew up in Scioto County and attended Shawnee State University and Ohio Christian University before her time as an EMT, according to the Ohio Capital Journal.
According to her campaign website, her campaign is led by the values that matter most to her: freedom, opportunity and justice.
David Taylor
Taylor is a "rock-ribbed conservative and family man," according to his campaign website.
Taylor is a graduate of Amelia High School, Miami University and the University of Dayton's law school. He currently resides in Clermont County with his wife and three kids.
After law school, Taylor worked for the prosecutor's office before taking over his family's business, Sardinia Ready Mix, Inc., which he runs today.
Taylor calls himself a "political outsider," saying "we need people with real world experience who can get the job done."
Here's where each candidate stands on certain issues:
Economy
Meadows
According to Meadows' campaign website, she supports taking on Wall Street by closing the carried interest loophole, defending the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau from corporate-sponsored attacks and "breaking up the Wall Street megabanks and separating depository banking from risky investment banking," among other things.
Taylor
Per Taylor's campaign website, "If we don't rein in spending fast, soon our country will be owned and operated by China." Taylor said as a congressman, he'd author legislation that requires Congress to balance the budget before they get paid, forcing them to only spend within our means.
Taylor also said he wants to ease the burden of inflation by cutting taxes for working families and bringing jobs back to America.
"Unshackling America's energy sector will go a long way toward accomplishing both," Taylor said. "We need to end the stigma on fossil fuels, and lean into nuclear energy."
Education
Meadows
Meadows said she's "deeply worried at the state of the education system" in the 2nd congressional district, according to her campaign website.
"It breaks my heart that some students don't have access to something as basic as a free, warm lunch if they need it," Meadows said. "On top of that, student safety is an ongoing concern. Our schools should be safe havens where kids can thrive, not places where their well-being is compromised."
Meadows said she supports efforts to increase funding for public schools, improve teacher salaries and benefits and promote policies that ensure equitable access to education resources. She also stands with teacher unions, and she said she supports reducing classroom sizes and adding additional support for students with special needs.
Taylor
According to his campaign website, Taylor believes "the current curriculum in public schools pits students against each other on the basis of race, misrepresenting our past, and teaching kids to hate our great country."
As congressman, Taylor said he would defund and dismantle "the failed experiment called the Department of Education," restore parental rights and expand school choice.
"It's time we put parents first instead of the intentionally destructive agenda being pushed by radical liberal D.C. bureaucrats and teachers' unions."
Abortion
Meadows
On her campaign website, Meadows said "women's reproductive rights are unequivocally human rights." She also said the decision-making power regarding reproductive rights belongs to women, not the government.
"I wholeheartedly support codifying Roe into law," Meadows said.
Taylor
Taylor describes himself as a pro-life conservative.
"I believe the unborn deserve to be protected by the law," Taylor said on his campaign website. "We must focus more on solutions for women who find themselves with unwanted pregnancies by prioritizing adoption access, child care access, and the codification of laws that make men equally responsible in such cases."
Taylor said there also needs to be emphasis put on the "value of family."
"Too many young people are being told that children are an inconvenience or an unnecessary burden instead of the blessings they truly are," Taylor said.
Immigration
Meadows
As congresswoman, Meadows said she wants to "drive meaningful immigration reform."
"Immigration reform is being exploited as a political tool to fuel campaigns," Meadows said. "This is a grave disservice to our country. We must elect members of Congress who are determined to legislate for meaningful change. The current system is undeniably broken. We have the ability to rectify this, but we need individuals in office who vote based on the content of bills, not their party affiliation."
Taylor
According to Taylor's campaign website, the southern border "has devolved into a war zone." Taylor said as congressman, he'd help finish Trump's wall, increase funding and resources for Border Patrol officers and deploy military personnel when need be.
He also said he'd prosecute all "criminals and cartels wreaking havoc on our country" to the fullest extent of the law.
You can click here to find your polling place, and here is a link to find your sample ballot.
