A Letter to Republicans

Dear Republicans,

I know, I know, I’m a “crazy leftist” and some would say that I should probably not be composing a message to you, but this election is too important to leave you out. Honestly, in each of my previous campaigns for office, some of my most vocal supporters happened to be Republican, and it is something that I have long worn as a badge of honor. Yet, that was when I ran for City Council or for School Board. This is a little different, because the legislature deals with many issues that you hold near and dear to your hearts.

Even so, I wanted to say something to you directly as this next election approaches because I genuinely think that the Republican Party – meaning the organization itself - has lost its way. Personally, I am an Independent, but have pledged to caucus with the Democrats. I align mostly with the Democratic Party platform, but am not afraid to point out when and where they have strayed from the interests of the people. This election, though, is important to stop the rise of authoritarianism, which appears to be a more immediate threat via the Republican Party.

In stopping authoritarian elements across the board, it is crucial to bring the people together in a coalition of, for, and by the working class. There are far more areas of agreement between citizens of the “left” and “right” than the media or the elites in politics want us to believe. They want us to keep fighting with each other over questions of privacy so that we will be distracted as those in power serve the interests of the few at our expense. This is why we are teetering on the edge of losing our democracy and ultimately our republic. We have to come together and declare in a collective voice that this system works for everyone, not just the people in business suits with hefty bank accounts.

I know how this sounds. I’m a leftwing Independent, planning to caucus with the Democrats, proposing many solutions that you may ideologically oppose, and I want your support. Absurd sounding, right? No. I don’t think it is absurd, because I want and we need you in our corner.

We all breathe the same air. We all pay the same rising prices. We all drive these roads and have to endure the numerous consequences of what our government does or doesn’t do. I can’t make this just about the people on the left end of our political spectrum, because we don’t live in a bubble which excludes you. Honestly, I wouldn’t want to live in a world where everyone agreed with me anyways.

Deep down inside, you know that our country and state can do better. We may not agree on how we make it better, but I want to make you a promise: if I win (with or without your support), I will ALWAYS listen to you. I will do even better than just listening to you, though. I will ALWAYS work WITH you, genuinely, to find common ground, and I will do so proactively. I’m not going to be one of those pathetic detached representatives who only does a town hall once in a while or who waits for things to become impossible to ignore before acting. No, I want to hear from you as often as humanly possible, in person, over the phone, emails, letters, social media, etc. I want monthly town halls. I want to see your faces and hear your voices, unfiltered. We need to fix EVERYTHING broken in our democracy in order to save our Republic, and I can’t do this alone or with one side of the political aisle. This is a cause for a united front to address, together.

I hope that you can find it in yourself to support this campaign. Feel free to share this in any way that you can. Donate, if possible. Spread the word.

Also, remember to write-in “Daniel Crawford” for Ohio House District 68 on November 8th!

Thank you for your time.