Former Ohio Governor and Congressman Ted Strickland to run for U.S. Senate
Former Ohio Governor and Congressman Ted Strickland announced Wednesday that he is running for the U.S. Senate in 2016.
Strickland, a Democrat from Scioto County, will be running for the seat currently held by Republican Sen. Rob Portman of Terrace Park.
"I’m running for the United States Senate in 2016 because I am determined to restore the American Dream for working people in this country," Strickland said.
"I believe in the American Dream because I’ve lived it. I grew up in rural Scioto County as the eighth of nine children, and was the first person in my family to go to college. My father was a proud steelworker, and my hard-working mother devoted her life to raising our family. I know how difficult it is to move up in this world, and the deck is increasingly stacked against working people.
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"Today, we are producing, building, creating and discovering more than ever before, and yet, for the middle-class, getting ahead has never been harder. I believe that if you’re willing to work hard every day and play by the rules, you shouldn’t go to bed worrying about tomorrow.
"To save the American Dream, we need to go back to the basics. We need to create living-wage jobs and invest in the kind of infrastructure projects that benefit our communities. We need to make college more accessible and affordable so that our young people can get an education, get a job, and start saving to buy a home, support their families and retire with a sense of dignity and security. We need to make smart choices on fair trade that reward the worker instead of the wealthy. If we do this, we can put our country back on the right path and bring opportunity for all."
Strickland is a former minister, psychologist, congressman and governor of Ohio.
In Congress, Strickland was instrumental in passing the Children’s Health Insurance Program that provides health coverage to millions of children nationwide. He was a leading advocate for funding the Appalachian Regional Commission and was an unwavering voice in opposition to the Iraq War.
After serving as governor, Ted was nominated by President Barack Obama to be a public delegate to the 68th U.N. General Assembly. He also served as a senior advisor to the U.S. Mission to the United Nations in New York. Most recently, Ted ran the Center for American Progress Action Fund, where he spoke out on behalf of policies to strengthen America’s working families.