Johnson vs. Lyras for 6th District seat | News, Sports, Jobs

JOHNSON TICKET

Age: 67

Political party:

Republican

Occupation: Member of the United States House

Previous elected

experience: member of the United States House, first elected in 2010

Objectives: Continue to provide

constituent services, reducing the high cost of living by restoring America’s energy

independence and bipartite work

solutions to solve problems.

LOUIS G. LYRAS

Age: 71

Political party:

Democratic

Occupation: President and CEO of Corcon Inc., a bridge painting company, and co-owner of Penguin City Beer

Previous elected

experience: none

Objectives: Attracting businesses to the region, energy independence and bringing money to public schools and universities.

US Representative Bill Johnson, a six-term congressman, and Louis G. Lyras, his Democratic opponent in the race for the 6th congressional district, say energy independence is among their top priorities.

The 6th District includes all of Mahoning, Columbiana, Carroll, Jefferson, Belmont, Harrison, Monroe, Noble, and Washington counties and parts of Stark and Tuscarawas counties.

Mahoning is the most populous county in the district.

The congressional district boundaries were redrawn by the Ohio Redistricting Commission and are only good for this election after the Ohio Supreme Court ruled the map unconstitutional.

The 6th District favors Republicans 59.06% to 40.94% for Democrats based on partisan voting trends over the past decade, according to the redistricting commission.

JOHNSON

Johnson, R-Marietta, is seeking his seventh two-year term in Congress.

His priorities include continuing to provide strong constituent services, reducing the high cost of living by restoring the country’s energy independence, and working on bipartisan solutions to problems.

“My constituent services have largely been what I’m most proud of because, after all, that’s who I work for,” says Johnson.

He added: “I’ve helped countless Ohioans cut red tape and bureaucracy from federal agencies and helped get many of them the benefits they’ve earned.”

Johnson said the United States “We need to reclaim the energy independence that we had a few years ago under the (Donald) Trump administration and reduce the high cost of thousands of essentials necessary for the daily life of Americans – from the gas pump to the grocery”.

Johnson supports fracking, including on public lands, as well as easing federal restrictions on oil and gas drilling, including in Ohio.

“I am not a climate denier” he said. “I happen to believe Republicans have better ideas on how to fight climate change than just turning off the tap and begging the Russians, Saudis, and Venezuelans for their oil. Let’s start producing here at home.

He urged President Joe Biden’s administration to support his law on the potential to release our domestic LNG (liquefied natural gas), which Johnson said “will help preserve America’s energy future, protect American jobs, and strengthen our national security.”

Johnson also supports the development of nuclear energy.

“I believe in an all-in-one energy policy”, he said.

While Johnson votes overwhelmingly with fellow Republicans, he said he often seeks bipartisan solutions and is proud of his work, especially with U.S. Representative Tim Ryan, D-Howland, in advocating for increased natural gas development, federal funding for the redevelopment of downtown Youngstown. project and growth at Youngstown Air Reserve Station in the Mahoning Valley.

“I have a great working relationship with members of the other party,” says Johnson.

Johnson said he was proud to be a member of the House Problem Solvers Caucus, which has 58 members – 29 from each political party.

“We focus on areas where we can find common ground,” he said. “I think that’s one of the reasons I’ve had more than 20 laws signed by the presidents of both parties.”

LYRAS

Lyras is President and CEO of Corcon Inc., a bridge painting company in Lowellville. He is also co-owner of Penguin City Beer in downtown Youngstown.

“I am not a politician” he said.“I’m a job creator… I’ve done that all my life. I have been an entrepreneur all my life. I have been a businessman. I have created businesses.

Among his top priorities, Lyras said economic development, energy independence, and providing increased federal funding to public schools and universities.

Lyras said the money in the US bailout congressional district will attract business and economic development. The area is centrally located with a strong workforce, he said.

Once the ARP money runs out, Lyras said the federal government should create another program to help local governments.

“We need to make sure we continue the progress we need to make to make the country great,” he said.

Lyras said he also wants the nation to become energy independent through wind, natural gas and nuclear power.

“Climate control is a problem” he said. “We could be 100% energy independent and that would reduce inflation.”

Lyras said he wants to work with local and state officials to bring in money to fund public schools and focus on research at universities. “Make our region a technological magnet for all businesses so that we keep our young talents at home and locally. We need to build the educational base that will attract new businesses and industries, as well as encourage and support entrepreneurship. »

Lyras ran in 2020 as a Republican in what is now the 13th congressional district, finishing second out of seven candidates with 11.9% of the vote. He filed petitions for nomination as an independent candidate in that same district in 2018, but failed to stand on the ballot in the general election.

Lyras said he always leaned to the left even when he was a Republican and decided the Democratic Party was more aligned with his political views on various issues such as pro-choice, LGBTQ rights, gun control. fire and collective bargaining for workers.

“I’ve always been pro-choice; I’m not pro-Trump, that’s for sure. he said. “I didn’t think it should have been so much of a problem. But I learned differently later. When I lost, I supported Tim Ryan. Thinking about it now, I believed in democratic philosophies” all along.

Lyras said he could unite Democrats and Republicans if elected.

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