Harrison Stanley
Elections and appointments
Personal
Contact
Harrison Stanley (independent) ran for election to the Ohio House of Representatives to represent District 29. He lost as a write-in in the general election on November 3, 2020.
Stanley completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2020. Click here to read the survey answers.
Biography
Harrison Stanley was born in Albuquerque, New Mexico. He graduated from West Suffolk College in 2016, and as of the 2020 election, he expected to receive a bachelor's degree from the University of Cincinnati in 2021. Stanley's professional experience includes being an archaeologist and having vocational training in electrical engineering. He has been affiliated with Phi Delta Theta, the Ohio ACLU, the Society for American Archaeology, the Archaeological Institute of America, the Liberal Gun Club, and the National African American Gun Association.[1]
Elections
2020
See also: Ohio House of Representatives elections, 2020
General election
Republican primary election
2020
Ballotpedia survey responses
See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection
Harrison Stanley completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2020. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Stanley's responses. Candidates are asked three required questions for this survey, but they may answer additional optional questions as well.
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I am most passionate about defending our people from partisan bickering and corporate greed.
On partisan bickering, we desperately need to de-politicize efforts that are designed to help people. Both major parties have their ups and downs, as a independent candidate I am free to support legislation that is good for our people, no matter the letter next to who proposes it.
On combating corporate greed, I am a strong supporter of social and jobs programs, as well as a proponent for protecting our environment and cultural resources - our people and our future are more important that private profits. There are a few people I strongly look up to, though like any human they are not perfect nor infallible - what I look up to is are the traits and actions that should be acknowledged and celebrated. Learn from the good, understand and reject the bad.
Benjamin Franklin, more-so for his actions later in life, as a diplomat, philosopher, and inventor
John Brown, "Caution, Sir! I am eternally tired of hearing that word caution. It is nothing but the word of cowardice!"
USN Admiral McRaven, a true patriot and leader, leads by example and from the front, willing to do what ought to be done.
USMC General Mattis, a "Marine's Marine", both an intelligent scholar and truly cared for his troops and their mission.
CAP Major Brown, A mentor of mine in the Civil Air Patrol, he spent much of his time helping others to succeed and grow.
Dr Tankersley, my academic mentor, he has taught me a lot about professional ethics and how to not be afraid of the unknown, to look challenge in the eyes and do what needs to be done.
Dr Allen, a wonderful professor I have learned much from, she has challenged me and pushed me harder academically than anyone else, and I am better for it.
Justice Ginsburg, a staunch advocate for the rights and liberties of ALL, a true model of sticking to your beliefs in the face of adversity.
Charles Booker, he is a Senate Challenger from Kentucky, an emotionally strong man who fights for justice and equality in the eyes of the law, a true man of the people and an inspiration for my campaign.
My Great-Grandfather Matthew Lawrence, he grew up during the depression, served in WW2 (125th Armored Engineer battalion), was captured by the Nazis and held for 9 months. After the war he moved to New Jersey and was a volunteer fighter and HVAC engineer. Later in life he was a Rabbi and POW-MIA advocate. He passed away during my 2nd year in college, so I was fortunate to be able to know him. Throughout my life he was a role-model and inspiration. Honesty, integrity, duty, and transparency. Elected officials need to represent their constituents and appropriately advocate for their well-being, not continuously push party ideologies.
Strong history of transparency, integrity, honor, and dedication.
The core responsibility of someone elected to this position is to fight FOR the people of their district. The 29th currently has terrible education, employment, wage, and health insurance rates, where is the incumbent in the fight to help our people?
I would like to leave the world in a better place than I found it, this campaign is a direct extension of that.
In 2001, just after 9/11 my dad's squadron was rapidly deployed to Afghanistan. I remember him telling my mom and I that he would be back next weekend... We didn't hear from him at all for over 120 days, then one day he just came home. During the time he was gone, my mom and I lived near Hurlbet Field AFB in Florida, we basically lived as a single-mother family (nearest relatives were in Kentucky/Ohio), weathered a couple tropical storms, and my mom beat cancer (she was diagnosed the day before my dad deployed). In my life I have learned a lot of lessons about leadership and integrity from my dad, but I learned a whole lot about dedication, doing what needs to be done, and perseverance from my mom.
I had held a handful of temporary/gig jobs, but my first 'real' job was working for a then recently-reopened BBQ restaurant on the west side of Cincinnati. Long hours, low pay, poor treatment of co-workers by the owner and managers.... It was a capitalists dream. It wasn't all bad, I really enjoyed working with people that became friends and cooking BBQ! But, while my enjoyment was fun at times, the systemic issues that underlined how badly working-class folks are treated were horrifying. Friends of the General manager were making more per hour on their first days than one one of out promoted managers (he had joined as an employee, was promoted to manager after ~6mo). was after months of hard-work and dedication to the company. I was there for just shy of a year.
The Passing of the Night by General Robbie Risner
I re-read it for the 3rd time a few months ago and his story of internal struggle and external battles while held as a POW in North Vietnam have really stuck with me. No matter how bad things get, there can always be inner peace.
Walking in the Snow
or
Blood on the Risers Growing up in a military family and moving a lot growing up I always struggled with having roots in an community. I have found that here, I have family nearby, I have connections to multiple institutions and organizations, and I have been honored to be an Ohioan.
Due to gerrymandering in Ohio, the representation of political parties in Ohio's General Assembly chambers are disproportional to the will of the people, the actual voters in our state. Each Senate district includes 3 House districts, as such each House district is more granular and should have a more representative occupant for the position. In reality, due to the very funky district lines that is less and less of the case.
NO! State legislators are representatives of the people, and as such should not be career politicians. Previous experience with parliamentary procedure and committee structure is helpful to make transitioning into the position easier, however I believe that it is vital to our democracy that ordinary folks without previous political experience are elected to state legislatures because they bring the perspective and will of the people with them.
Ohio's greatest challenge over the next decade will be in taking care of our people. Our poverty rates are unacceptable, our affordably housing rates are unacceptable, our crumbling infrastructure is unacceptable, families going bankrupt due to illness is unacceptable. "Accept what you cannot change, change what you cannot accept", Ohio has the ability to actually help our people, we just need to break the political deadlock and actually get it done!
The Governor, as the state executive, should have a working relationship with the state legislature to ensure the will of the people is dutifully carried out by the state government. However, that relationship should not interfere with the duties of each. They need to be able to operate without undue political interference.
Absolutely. Without relationships, without the ability to build coalitions, the legislature becomes a shouting match of people that cant get along. Compromises need to be able to be made, agreements need to set, coalitions need to be formed, without that party deadlock will paralyze our government.
Due to a 2011 redistricting effort, Ohio's districts are horribly broken. The process that I best align with is the stance of the ACLU (specifically as laid out in Ohio A. Philip Randolph Institute v. Smith). Our districts should not look like the most ridiculous jigsaw puzzle, or voters need to be able to choose their representation, NOT the other way around.
On my personal shortlist of committees where I could make well-informed and meaningful impacts are:
Armed Services and Veterans Affairs
Criminal Justice Subcommittee on Criminal Sentencing
Commerce and Labor
Health
Primary and Secondary Education
These have been chosen as I either have substantial knowledge in the areas they cover OR are inline with the policy platforms I support. I am a non-partisan independent.
For the time being, no. My current goal is to run for office, if elected dutifully serve my 2-year term, then go back to living my life. I don't see this as a stepping stone for a political career, I view it as serving our great state and helping do the things that ought to be done.
Yes. One that stands out to me is of a young man who has spent years hopping from job to job, he has finally found himself new employment after being laid off due to COVID-19, $10/hr at a fast food chain. If he works 40hrs/wk he will still be making less than Ohio pays in unemployment, even before including the additional PUA that is currently offered. On an economist's spreadsheet in Columbus he is "employed" but supporting himself and his family, paying rent and utilities, buying food, affording car payments and insurance, on that wage is impossible. To say nothing of not having healthcare. We need to stop privatizing profits and socializing losses for major companies that refuse to pay their employees a living wage. Thousands within our district live in wage slavery, a paycheck or less away from going completely broke.
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See also
External links
- ↑ Information submitted to Ballotpedia through the Candidate Connection survey on June 25, 2020
Leadership
Speaker of the House:Jason Stephens
Majority Leader:Marilyn John
Representatives
Republican Party (65)
Democratic Party (34)
