I’ve been reflecting on this for quite some time and after having several people ask me if I’m running for council this fall it feels like I need to make an official announcement that I will not be entering the 2023 race for Harrison City Council Member at Large.
Unopposed elections suck. That’s a big part of the reason I ran in 2019 and again in 2021. The demographics and political leanings of the residents of Harrison are such that our city’s leadership is largely decided at the spring primary. It is an embarrassment that even when the Republicans bother to trot out a contested primary fewer than 400 voters showed up at the polls in 2021. Less than 400 votes cast in a city of ~11,000 residents with ~9,000 registered voters at the time! The 2023 Republican primary will be an unopposed primary just as it was in 2019. With no national or state offices on the ballot and just a smattering of local races 2023 is playing out exactly as 2019 did so why am I sitting this one out?
My reason for sitting this one out is two-fold: time and money.
2023 is a year of milestones for my family. Stacie and I celebrate our 25th wedding anniversary in a few short weeks. We both turn 50 this summer. On top of that our daughter is engaged to be married in November. Add to that my existing commitments to growing my company’s business, to the BZA, the Harrison Mayor’s Community Fund, and my scouts at Troop 408 and my dance card is quite full.
Local campaigns are almost always self financed by the candidate. They may get some money from friends and family and on occasion the local party may pony up some cash for a mailer to help out a particularly vulnerable candidate but the lion’s share of those yard signs, door hangers and t-shirts you see came out of the candidate’s own pocket. Last fall Stacie and I decided it would be fun to renew our vows in a big way – taking the entire family on a trip to a Dominican all-inclusive resort for a beachfront ceremony. Not long after we committed to this trip Kara & Mario got engaged. I couldn’t make them wait until 2024 to tie the knot so I’m effectively paying for 2 weddings this year!
I could certainly get the signatures needed to secure a spot on the ballot for November and just phone it in. Once could argue that there’s some value to simply offering an alternative for folks to lodge a protest vote against whatever beef they have with the incumbents . If you’ve followed my past campaigns you know that that’s just not me. If I’m in I’m in it to win it. The voters of this city deserve more. They deserve an active, engaged candidate and this year I’m afraid that’s not me.
Harrison has serious challenges. The appetite for new neighborhood construction is as strong as it’s ever been. We need a council that will advocate for smart growth. State funding is coming up short on important projects like the West Rd pedestrian overpass. Just as there was in 2019, I expect we will see a fire levy renewal on the November ballot. Will the next council have the wherewithal to permanently address the funding of public safety or will the levy be a can kicked down the road for another 4 years?
My hope is that by announcing that I am out of the running for 2023 now, I have left enough time for one or more people to answer the call to serve and get themselves on the ballot. If that’s you I’d love to grab coffee (or something a bit stronger) and sign your petition!
Joe Combs Thoughts on Harrison, Ohio 