Ex-Rep. Dennis Kucinich officially launches independent campaign for Congress

admin

[ad_1]

INDEPENDENCE, Ohio – Declaring that economic concerns, national and border security will be the focus of his campaign, former Democratic U.S. Rep. Dennis Kucinich of Cleveland on Wednesday officially kicked off an independent run for Congress at the Independence Civic Center.

Describing himself as uniquely able to “help heal the partisan divide, to bring people together and to help reestablish the sense of which is the essence of who we are as the United States,” Kucinich described the 7th congressional district he hopes to represent as “familiar territory.”

He said roughly 45% of the district consists of the more than 20 Cuyahoga County communities he represented in Congress from 1997 until a Republican-led redistricting plan forced him into the same district as Toledo Democrat Marcy Kaptur, who defeated him in a 2012 Democratic primary.

“This time, only my name will be on the ballot,” said Kucinich, 77, whose longtime residence is not in the district that he’s seeking to represent. “No label, just Dennis K. Kucinich. I have a bond with the voters which goes far beyond party labels.”

It wasn’t clear whether Kucinich has another residence in the district.

Kucinich served as Cleveland’s mayor from 1977 to 1979, and as a state legislator and city council member as well as serving in Congress. He sought the Democratic Party’s presidential nomination in 2004 and 2008, and until October served as campaign manager for the independent presidential campaign of Robert Kennedy, Jr.. Since leaving Congress, he has made unsuccessful runs for Ohio governor and Cleveland mayor.

In addition to western and southern parts of Cuyahoga County, the district he hopes to represent includes all of Medina and Wayne counties and parts of Holmes County.

It is currently represented by freshman GOP Rep. Max Miller of Rocky River. Matthew Diemer of Bay Village and Doug Bugie of Cleveland are seeking the Democratic party’s nomination to run for the seat. The Cook Political Report says Republicans have a 7 percentage point demographic advantage in the district.

Kucinich last week revealed his plans for a congressional comeback by filing campaign paperwork at the Federal Election Commission. Political analysts predict he’ll have an uphill battle in a district engineered for Republican victory.

Kucinich said he hopes to win votes from the generations of people who live in that district, who were helped over the years by his political independence and the conscientious work of his congressional staff. He said his experience rooting out waste, fraud and abuse over the years and in protecting the United States from foreign entanglements is “crucial.”

If he wins the post, he predicted that his independence would be a powerful asset in a closely divided Congress, making his vote “pivotal,” and forcing members of both parties to be well aware of the needs and priorities of the district’s constituents and of the people of Northern Ohio.

“Now more than ever, America needs in Congress persons of experience and integrity, individuals of goodwill and political experience to guide our nation through this difficult time,” Kucinich said. “I have the experience and the energy, the knowledge and the temperament and the willingness to serve our community and our nation once again, to help heal the divisions in our nation.”

Ohio's 7th congressional district

Ohio’s 7th congressional district includes portions of Cuyahoga and Holmes counties, and all of Medina and Wayne counties.Rich Exner, cleveland.com

Sabrina Eaton writes about the federal government and politics in Washington, D.C., for cleveland.com and The Plain Dealer.

[ad_2]

Source link