OTTAWA — Ohio’s 82nd House District had been a model of consistency, with only two representatives, Republicans Tony Burkley and Craig Riedel, coming from that district since 2013. However, with the district now taking up a new area, covering Putnam, Van Wert, Paulding and southern Defiance counties, things are a little different.
And the two candidates for Ohio’s 82nd House of Representatives, Magdalene Markward and Roy Klopfenstein, could not be more different, either.
“I’m really just an ordinary 35-year-old working-class mother,” said Markward, who is from Van Wert and running as a Democrat. “I currently work as a preschool bus aide and substitute teacher. Before that, I ran a small daycare out of my home for about four years. Prior to that, I worked for many years as a server and manager at a small locally-owned pizza restaurant. So I have a lot of experience working with children and families and low-wage workers.”
“I’m a Paulding County resident, born and raised here,” said Klopfenstein, running as a Republican. “I raised my family here. I actually grew up on a family farm here and farmed with my dad and an older brother. And my dad has since passed away, but I farm with my wife and we have four sons. One of them is back full-time on the farm now farming with me or I’m farming with him. And about 10 years ago, I was asked to run for county commissioner. I thought it was a good way to give back to the community and I have thoroughly enjoyed that. I enjoy serving the community and enjoy trying to make it a little better for not only my kids, but for everyone for all the families that live and work here.”
Klopfenstein said that when Rep. Craig Reidel, R-Defiance, decided not to run again, he was approached to fill the vacating position.
“I was asked if I would consider giving back additionally to the community,” he said. “I had, I guess, very good experience with the commissioner position. That’s really good training as far as what it takes to give you the experience that you need to possibly be a good legislator. Commissioners aren’t legislators, but they work by ORC or Ohio Revised Code, and that is the rules the legislators make for us to live by. So just that experience of being commissioner and then the experience being in business for my 43rd season of farming. So I’ve been in business a while and that experience helped me make good decisions as far as what it takes to operate a business and employ people and the challenges that go with that. So having those experiences and the opportunity I guess, to go serve, I decided to do that.”
Markward, on the other hand, was motivated by what she saw as a lack of representation for people like her in public office.
“Well, I really wanted to run for office because I don’t feel represented in our state House and I know many people don’t either,” she said. “I feel like we need more women, more mothers, more young people and more working-class people in office. They’re very underrepresented at every level of our government. And I bring a perspective that is often lacking in our elected officials. I decided to run because I get really tired of hearing certain politicians claiming to care about children and families and working-class people, but refusing to support policies that would actually help children, families and working people.”
Legislative priorities
Both Markward and Klopfenstein are familiar with and well-versed in the life of the working person. But they each have different ideas about how government should work with the economy.
“My priorities would be a living wage,” said Markward. “It’s wrong that people can’t live off of one full-time job. That’s not enough to live off of, especially at a minimum wage. A minimum wage should be a living wage.”
“Well, certainly, I’m a ‘less government is probably better government’ person and that comes from 10 years of experience at the commissioner level and that comes from operating businesses,” said Klopfenstein. “We can make better decisions locally for our well-being than they can in Columbus. Certainly, we need to have some guidelines at times, as far as tax structure and standards, but I think what sets me apart is not only my experience, but I guess my values mirror a lot of the values of the constituents here.”
The 82nd district has so far leaned solidly Republican, going back to when former Paulding County Commissioner Tony Burkley won back-to-back elections, the second one unopposed.
What is at stake from Klopfenstein’s point of view is the government intruding on the rights of individual rights.
“Well, certainly as people look back over the past two and a half years, it’s been sort of a unique time,” he said. “And as I talked to constituents here, my family, my friends and my neighbors, we really like what we have here in the 82nd District, as far as our values, the things that we have as far as our churches and our schools. And we just felt, or a lot of people felt a lot of intrusion into their rights over the past two and a half years, especially from the federal government, but also from the state government, as far as restricting businesses and restricting what they could do and mandates and so there’s there’s a lot of freedom here to protect. Government has a role. And certainly, government can do some good things as far as infrastructure and protecting our border and protecting our communities. But beyond that, limited government is a good thing. So that’s what the people want here, is to protect our way of life. And that’s sort of my goal too. I like what we have here. I like our schools, I like our local school boards. For the most part, they do a very good job and we don’t need some bureaucrat in Columbus telling us how to run our communities. So part of that might be a little bit of pushback. Part of that might be a little bit of protecting our constitutional freedoms. And part of it is just protecting our families.”
For Markward, government regulation serves a more significant role in her outlook, even if she might have skepticism with one particular aspect of its application.
“Most people support gun safety laws and yet many of our elected officials are making it less safe by letting anyone without training or license carry a gun around,” she said. “I support health care for all people. I think we are all better off when we’re all healthy and have access to healthcare. And jumping off of that, one of my biggest priorities is that abortion is healthcare. Abortion has to stay safe and legal. Everyone deserves the right to decide if, when, how and with whom they become a parent or bring a child into this world and to have control over their own bodies. And it’s a very personal decision that the government should not infringe upon the right of.”
What each would bring to Columbus
As for what either candidate would bring to Columbus if elected, Markward and Klopfenstein again provided diverting answers.
“I would bring a fresh perspective,” said Markward. “And I feel like certain politicians go against the will of the voters in Ohio and go against their best interests. I believe that this job requires a lot of listening to people and learning from their opinions, advice and expertise and also having empathy towards people. You have to try to understand other people’s circumstances and situations to be a good representative.”
“The simplest explanation of that is just to protect our way of life here,’ said Klopfenstein. “And past that, make the environment such that it’s not only good to work here, but good to be in business here, good to raise a family here. And we have safe communities. I think that’s sort of the basis of my campaign. That’s sort of the basis of what I want to protect. And I believe that’s what our constituents want here too. Let’s just protect our way of life and our freedoms.”
One thing they both agree on, however, is the need to exercise the right to vote.
“I hope people take the time to exercise that opportunity,” said Klopfenstein. “People tend to complain about government, and then if you ask them if they voted, they haven’t and there’s so much freedom that we take for granted and there are places around the world that they literally would die to have a free election. And here we almost shirk our responsibility. And so voter turnout is key voter turnout is important.”
“I really hope that for one, everyone gets out there and votes,” said Markward. “It is so important. And it is one of our most fundamental rights in a democracy and it’s in danger. Our democracy is at stake. So I really hope that everyone gets out there and exercises their right to vote.”
Election Day is on Tuesday, November 8. For information on polling locations, reach out to your local county board of elections.
Reach Jacob at 564-242-0399.
