Highland County Democrats host candidates, guests for annual fall dinner

Highland County Democrats welcomed a full house Monday night at the VFW hall for a spirited evening of politics and policies at their annual fall dinner, headlined by congressional candidate Samantha Meadows and author/political activist David Pepper. An array of soups, a surprise guest, Amy Acton, and a special song added to the night’s diverse presentations.

Meadows opened with gratitude to the group for their impressive efforts on her behalf, noting that other county Democratic leaders have commented to her about the show of support in Highland County.

Meadows has spent the last three years crisscrossing the 15 counties and 8,000 square miles of Ohio District 2, speaking with and listening to the people of rural Ohio.

“Creating employment opportunities, building strong communities and ensuring access to education and health care are my priorities,” Meadows says. “I’m running for the people in every county of this district, in the towns and townships, not just the cities.”

Meadows says her championship of working people and commitment to working with them is reflected in endorsements by “16 labor unions, from the United Mine Workers of America and steelworkers of USW to government employees and teachers across Ohio.”

Former USO singer and local performer Linda Griffith offered her own grace note to Meadows remarks with “Samantha’s Fire,” a song she wrote and performed a cappella in the candidate’s honor.

“I wrote the first version after the first time I heard Samantha speak,” Griffith says. “This was my sixth version, and it’s finally just the way it should be.”

Former Chairman of the Ohio Democratic Party, David Pepper, gave a rousing presentation on gerrymandering, a process to give one political party a majority in many districts while concentrating the voting strength of the other party into as few districts as possible. Southern Ohio’s Ohio District 2 is considered one of the most gerrymandered in the state.

“Gerrymandering invites corruption,” Pepper says. “There is no reason for an officeholder to support free and fair elections when free and fair elections might lose them power. Elected officials should not have the freedom to do whatever they want, however they want, without any repercussions.

“The ballot language on the ‘gerrymandering’ issue was purposefully manipulated to confuse and mislead voters. People who want fair representation should absolutely vote yes on Issue 1, and ignore the phrasing on the ballot.”

Pepper brought a guest, Amy Acton, former Director of the Ohio Department of Health who played a leading role in Ohio's response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Her unscripted daily news briefings, calm demeanor and use of broad emergency powers brought her into the national spotlight for a time. Acton spoke of the experience — the good parts, the parts that were threatening and how both affected her.

She says, “I am just really focused now on how I can best be of service.” She is considering running for governor in 2028.

Senator Sherrod Brown’s representative, Jaime Castle, spoke to the group on his behalf, thanking them for their support and effort throughout his career and noting how Highland County voters continue to make a difference to election outcomes.

Dinah Phillips, Chair of the Highland County Democrats, says, “I want to personally thank everyone for making our ‘Harvest Soup Dinner’ such an amazing success. Linda Griffith's song dedicated to Samantha was absolutely incredible.

“The speakers were inspiring. The soups were all delicious, the sandwiches were great, and the desserts — well, there were none left. The whole evening was great.”

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