Morgan Showen is the Democratic Party nominee for the Ohio House of Representatives in the 54th district. The district includes the cities of Lebanon, Mason, Landen, and part of Middletown, along with the Western portion of Warren County.
Biography
Morgan has spent almost his entire life living in southwest Ohio where he first started working in politics. Following the 2016 election, and before he was old enough to vote, Morgan began mobilizing his fellow students to make office visits to members of Congress. These trips would be the beginning of Cincinnati Indivisible, an advocacy group of over 80 students that would make more trips to lobby congressional staff on the subjects of healthcare, immigration, and climate change. Since then, Morgan has worked on Joe Schiavoni and Aftab Pureval’s gubernatorial and congressional campaigns, respectively. He has studied political science and environmental law and policy at the University of Michigan while leading the Roosevelt Network at Michigan as Co-President. The Network is the largest progressive policy think tank at Michigan and makes frequent trips to lobby state legislators in Lansing on issues from gun violence to educational reforms. In the last two years, he has co-authored two nationally-published policy proposals within the Network. These proposals would increase student voter turnout and expand wind energy development in the state of Michigan as an effort to fight rural unemployment and climate change. In January, he was elected to serve as a delegate to the Democratic National Convention for former South Bend Mayor Pete Buttigieg if he had won the Ohio primary. Morgan currently lives in Lebanon, Ohio.
Key Platform Items
Our campaign has published detailed policy plans in five key areas. Those areas are Coronavirus Response, Protecting LGBTQ Rights, Gun-violence Prevention, Student Debt Relief, and Green Energy Jobs. These plans are in-depth analyses that focus on solutions that could be implemented at the statehouse level. Morgan is committed to being ready to govern on day one. Further plans regarding Mental Health, Environmental Protection, and Police Reform are in progress.
Who is your political role model and why?
Pete Buttigieg has been a role model because of his willingness to challenge traditional political wisdom. He ran an incredible campaign despite the fact that he was running for an office that he “wasn’t supposed” to run for.
Why are you running for this office?
Since I was old enough to drive, I got a job working upwards of 60 hours a week every summer to afford college. After I would get home from work late at night, I would sit down at the kitchen table and start reading the news. When Ohio was in the headlines, the reports of job losses and new laws restricting a woman’s right to choose made me understand why young people were leaving our state. Having now spent the last several years lobbying members of congress and state legislators, working on multiple campaigns, and writing my own policy proposals, I believe I have the experience necessary to deliver change for our state. Our current representation in Columbus is unengaged, ineffective, and focused on an extreme agenda not supported by the majority of Ohioans. District 54 deserves a state representative who will fight to expand affordable health coverage, support the resources we need to protect public health, and restore local government funding. I am running to be that representative and bring a new generation of leadership to the Statehouse.
What qualifies you for this office?
As a lifelong resident of Lebanon, Ohio, Morgan knows the challenges facing our community. And he has the track record to deliver change to Columbus:
- Lobbied members of Congress to protect the health insurance of millions of Americans before he was old enough to vote
- Co-authored two nationally published plans to increase voter turnout and create green energy jobs in working-class communities
- Worked with state legislators to support bills to improve early childhood education and keep guns out of the hands of domestic abusers
What are the most important issues facing the voters of this district?
The most important issue facing voters is the health and economic crisis caused by COVID-19 and the inadequate response from the state and federal government. The lack of leadership demonstrated by the current representative of District 54 has only compounded this issue. As Chair of the Ohio House 2020 Economic Recovery Task Force, Representative Zeltwanger used his platform to promote conspiracy theories and downplay COVID-19. Despite the deaths of thousands of Ohioans, Zeltwanger still doubts the seriousness of the pandemic and his Task Force has produced zero recommendations. The Cincinnati Enquirer noted Zeltwanger’s approach to the virus and called him “Ohio’s armchair epidemiologist”. The voters of District 54 deserve a leader that trusts public health experts and will fight for them.
Do you support worker’s rights? What is your position on so-called “Right To Work” laws in Ohio?
Morgan is a strong advocate for workers’ rights and is proud to be endorsed by Senator Sherrod Brown and a variety of labor unions.
Endorsements https://www.morganshowen.com/endorsements
Volunteer- Click on these links to see how to get involved in the Showen for Ohio campaign.
https://www.morganshowen.com/support
https://www.morganshowen.com/involvement
Donate- Click on this link to donate to the campaign. https://secure.actblue.com/donate/showenforohio?amount=10&recurring=1&refcode=Website To mail a check please make it payable to Morgan Showen for Ohio and mail to 2172 Bone Rd. Lebanon, OH 45036.
Events- Check out this link https://www.facebook.com/groups/teamshowen to see events happening in your area.
Social Media
Website: https://www.morganshowen.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ShowenforOhio/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.cm/morgan_showen/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/MorganShowen
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCunvJuvzBJUyyUy8aOJZ2Ew