Raising the rural voice; Chris Gibbs guest speaker for HC Democrat Party Feb. 9  

By Pat Lawrence
Highland County Democratic Party

Rural issues and the farming community are the focus for, “Agribusiness and Politics, a Candid Conversation with Ohio farmer Chris Gibbs,” starting at 6 p.m. Feb. 9 at Hillsboro’s Hi-TEC Center. 

The current chairman of the Ohio Democratic Party’s Rural Caucus, Gibbs has spent the last few months traveling the state to hear exactly what matters most to those who live and work in rural Ohio. 

Gibbs will give attendees a sneak peek at the preliminary findings of a 10-week, 2,112-mile tour across the state. 

“I’m excited that my first "results" tour stop will be in Highland County," Gibbs said. "I really want to learn what Highland County voters think of the results, and share their own views about what we have gathered.” Gibbs says the results and input from Highland County residents will be included in the report scheduled to be released at the end of January.

A family farmer, and lifelong resident of Shelby County, Gibbs owns and manages 560 acres of row crops, and, with his son, 90 head of cattle. Gibbs retired from the USDA after 30 years of administering federal agricultural policy to farmers. He spent 20 years in the local Republican Party administration, serving as Shelby County Party chair and chair of the Board of Elections through 2019. He has long been involved in rural advocacy through Rural Voices USA and Rural Voices Network. Gibbs left the Republican Party in 2019, believing the GOP no longer represented his core values and, in 2023, became chairman of the Shelby County Democratic Party, and focused on rebuilding the Democratic party in rural Ohio counties. 

“Our goal is to identify and address rural issues and accurately represent the needs of rural counties at all levels. For far too long, I don’t believe rural voters have been heard in America,” Gibbs said. “Too many times, candidates blow into an area with ideas and policies, but don’t listen to the voters. These listening sessions are how we learn what matters most to our rural communities, the villages and towns and families committed to agriculture. They are the untapped resource of Ohio.”

The Hi-TEC Center is located at 1575 N. High Street.