Who is running for Ohio treasurer?
By Matthew Wilson
“Do good in the job that you are in.” That is what Ohio State Rep. Robert Sprague’s grandpa would tell him, and that is what he believes he has done as a state representative working on the opioid crisis in Ohio.
Sprague said this while speaking at an event organized by Kent State University’s College Republicans, also emphasizing that his vision is for the future. The event attracted 26 people total, of whom 10 were Republican officials who were running for office in other positions. Sixteen were current students and alumni. The event was announced as starting at 6 p.m., but most of the audience arrived an hour late and most seemed to know each other. It may have been a small group, but its support for the Republican nominee was strong.
The main focus of the event was the opioid epidemic in Ohio and how to bring the rates of recovery rate up. Sprague said the rate of recovery is currently 11.2 percent, accomplished by using government-run programs. He wants to create a partnership with the private sector through “social impact bonds”, which give money privates companies to increase the rates of recovery, lowering the amount the state spends.
The bonds work like this: the government has an issue and sees a solution through a local program/strategy that can fix the issue. Then, it uses private investors to fund the program through a project manager who manages the project. The program gets analyzed and the government pays the program and the investors back, based on the results it gets.
When speaking with Sprague before the event, he was engaging and professional, but his mind was always on the prize. Whenever the reporter asked a question, he would answer it and quickly bring the conversation back to his goals if he becomes Ohio’s state treasurer.
Sprague, 45, earned his undergraduate degree in mechanical engineering at Duke University, then got his MBA at the University of North Carolina. Sprague started in politics as the city treasurer and auditor in Findley, Ohio, then moved on to be the Ohio House of Representatives in 2011, as the member for District 83.
Sprague also says he wants to improve high schoolers’ education in real-world tasks that students can use when they go to college to better plan against debt.
Rob Richardson, 39, is the Democratic candidate in the race. He earned his bachelor’s degree in engineering and his law degree at the University of Cincinnati. Richardson served on the university’s board of trustees starting in 2007 and became the chair of the board in 2016. Attempts to contact Richardson’s office, through repeated emails and through his Facebook page, which he is active on, were not responded to.
These online sources outline Richardson’s major goal to focus on civil rights as Treasurer of Ohio. He wants to embrace diversity and equal rights of everyone who is overlooked, to help us grow as a nation and bring people together. He also wants Ohio to shift away from for-profit prisons. There are currently three private prisons in Ohio, and Richardson talks about how they worry more about money than safety, which hurts Ohio’s economy.
Mike Bishop is the president of the College Democrats at John Carroll University. When asked about the Ohio treasurer’s race, he was very informed, both about Richardson and about the role of the state treasurer in Ohio.
When asked about Richardson, Bishop showed a strong support for the Democratic candidate: “His willingness to work beyond the day-to-day operations of treasurer in whatever capacity, is why the state needs him.”
What does the treasurer of Ohio do? The position is now held by Josh Mandel, a Republican, whose term is up on Jan. 14. According to Ballotpedia, the treasurer manages the state’s money and acts as the state’s banker. He or she collects taxes and fees, then has to make effective investments. The budget is set by a committee and then the treasurer reviews it to make sure it follows the goals of the state. Overall, the goal is to give financial advice and make adjustments that will make Ohio a stronger and better place to live. The position may not seem fancy and shiny, but it is important.
Remember to vote on Tuesday, Nov. 6. Voting at John Carroll University will be from 6:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. in the reading room of the Dolan Science Center.
