Curiosity filled the Sutter Roush Room to capacity at the Shelby Area Democratic Club's monthly meeting with Steve Thomas as the guest speaker. Steve is running for the Democratic nomination for the Ohio 4th Congressional District seat. He is one of three candidates vying for the nomination and the opportunity to unseat Jim Jordan. Thomas said he entered the race because he could no longer stand by and watch a small group of well-funded right-wing radicals destroy our country.
He said he was running to protect our civil liberties and fight for others that have yet to be fully realized such as reproductive freedom, equal pay for women, and racial equality. Jordan, Thomas said has never done anything in Congress to help his constituents. As the Representative for the Ohio 4th his work would include creating economic opportunities.
Thomas grew up in Virginia. His father was active in Democratic politics fostering an interest in Steve in government which led to Steve majoring in government in college. Job prospects at the time shifted his career plans to computer science and that is what eventually brought him to Ohio. He eventually started an eLearning software company that he grew into a world-wide leader in online education technology.
With the 4th District being such a rural district, he was asked what he knew about farmers. Thomas answered that he wasn’t a farmer, but farms were small businesses. As a small business owner himself, he understood the struggles they face, particularly their need for access to capital. He also understood the importance of the Farm Bill to them and noted that was something Jordan had opposed. Asked what sets him apart from the other two candidates for the Democratic nomination, he replied that it was his education and experience as a business owner. Jordan, he pointed out, has never punched a time clock, and never had to worry about meeting payroll. For more information about Steve, go to stevethomasforcongress.us. The audio from Steve's conversation with the Club is below.