Virginia Salazar has lived in the same South Toledo home since she was 4, but little about the area where she grew up, got to know her neighbors, and raised her children is like it was back then.

“Years ago, I wouldn’t have been afraid to leave my door open. But now? No. I leave the lights on and the door has to be locked,” said Miss Salazar, who lives on Prouty Avenue not far from the Anthony Wayne Trail.

Miss Salazar’s biggest concern about her neighborhood, one of the things she thinks has most contributed to its decline, is the opioid epidemic. She’s lost friends and people she grew up with to heroin, and for years she watched her nephew struggle with addiction.

VIDEO: Virginia Salazar

“There was always a roadblock,” she said of helping her nephew, now clean for three years. “One of the first questions was whether you had insurance. If you didn’t have insurance, unless you knew people who are already in that field they just close that door to you.”

Miss Salazar cited the opioid epidemic as being among the most serious issues facing Lucas County. Her response was part of the Bellwether Project, a collaboration between The Blade and nonprofit Jefferson Center to gauge important issues leading up to the midterm elections.

Ohio is considered a predictor of federal elections, and Lucas County in particular offers a snapshot of the nation with its split of Democrats in Toledo and Republicans in its suburbs.

Ms. Salazar, a 50-year-old medical billing specialist who identifies as Hispanic/​Latino, is one of the 25 Bellwether Project participants chosen by the Jefferson Center to reflect the county’s demographics.

Each participant will be paid $200 by the nonprofit Knight Foundation and bipartisan foundation Democracy Fund. They’ll answer questions about local and national issues via text message, and eventually take part in an in-person conversation.

“We’re trying to lift up new voices and new perspectives to get a sense of what regular Lucas County residents are thinking about and hearing about in the run-up to the election,” said Andrew Rockway, a program director at the Jefferson Center, which promotes democratic engagement in order to inform public policy.

The Blade’s bellwether group has nine Democrats (including Miss Salazar), eight Republicans, and eight others who identify as unaffiliated or members of other parties. They span different races, ages, and education levels.

Their concerns range from opioids and crime to poor road conditions and the Lucas County jail. Six participants discussed these and other issues in interviews with The Blade this week.

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William Lowry is an 84-year-old white man who has spent the vast majority of his life in Lucas County. Mr. Lowry, a registered Republican, lives in Providence Township.

One-party rule is the most important problem facing Lucas County right now, Mr. Lowry said. It means no checks and balances, and a Republican party without the ability to affect change, he said.

“When this happens, it’s like the rest of us are sitting out there following along with what they decide,” Mr. Lowry said.

In addition, Mr. Lowry opposes any attempt to unify city and county governments. He believes such consolidation is a means for cities to obtain more taxes.

Former Toledo Mayor Carty Finkbeiner in 2015 discussed merging Toledo and Lucas County into a single government as a means of economic growth. Mr. Finkbeiner was a potential mayoral candidate at the time.

Mayor Wade Kapszukiewicz has proposed consolidating some city and county departments, as well as greater regional cooperation, but not creating a unified government.

Mr. Lowry is considering relocating to a southern state, with lower taxes and better weather.

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Courtany Pawlowski grew up alongside rotating foster siblings, so many that she eventually lost count of the number welcomed into her home over the years.

A 34-year-old office administrator and Toledo native, Mrs. Pawlowski has remained close with several of them, a constant reminder for her of how important foster care is to the community.

A lack of families willing to help foster children is the biggest issue she sees in Lucas County, followed by crime and opioid addiction — which often create the need for foster families.

“I just think that there are a lot of kids that need safe homes,” said Mrs. Pawlowski, a Democrat who identifies as white and Hispanic/​Latina. “The families that do foster care are sometimes very overwhelmed because there aren’t enough homes.”

Mrs. Pawlowski also grew up with four biological siblings and many friends. Her father, a Toledo police officer, used to joke that he never knew how many children he was coming home to after work.

“I know some of the sad stories that some of these kids come from and now that I have kids of my own I would do anything to protect them and keep them safe,” she said.

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Teresa Cavanaugh, 55, is a black woman who said she generally thinks of herself as a Republican. She was born and raised in Toledo, and has five grandchildren.

Violent crime is her leading concern for the area. Ms. Cavanaugh said she is worried about the number of people harming each other and young residents. Many teenagers see adults committing crimes and emulate it, without realizing how serious it is, she said.

She would like to see more police officers and public marches. If other cities saw Toledo widely protesting violent crime, it may encourage them to do the same, she said.

“Get somebody in office that can put people out on the streets and talk to these people. Bring the gangs together, let them sit down, and see what the problems are. Talk to the drug dealers, why are you trying to pump drugs into little kids?” Ms. Cavanaugh said.

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For Yvette Jones, the rate of homicides and opioid addiction is the region’s leading problem.

“Because it doesn’t matter what your sociological status is, it will affect you. It will impact your life,” Ms. Jones said.

Ms. Jones, a 51-year-old black woman, is a registered Democrat who lives in Toledo. She hopes for greater attention to violence and for witnesses to speak to law enforcement.

As a teacher at Life Skills Center of Toledo, Ms. Jones leads classes on special education, social studies, science, and English.

Children in trauma need mental health counseling and education to help break the cycle, Ms. Jones said. Teachers too, should learn how to show support, and understand students’ actions are not necessarily directed toward them.

“Drug use is trauma to yourself and trauma to your family. So having that PTSD, you’re going to need mental health services,” Ms. Jones said.

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Joseph Sechrist used to be a Democrat, but that changed during his junior year at Wittenberg University.

The 22-year-old recent graduate was introduced to socialism by one of his professors at the Springfield, Ohio, school.

Mr. Sechrist, who is white, believes that a political party advocating community ownership would help what he sees as the biggest problem facing Lucas County — systemic poverty. The poverty rate in Lucas County is about 20 percent.

It’s something Mr. Sechrist acknowledges is less prevalent in Whitehouse, where he grew up and is living until he begins a job next month in Nebraska.

Mr. Sechrist disagrees with the White House’s recent conclusion that poverty has declined, based on data released this week that looks at spending rather than income.

“It’s worrisome that not only has a Republican-controlled government been able to effectively pass legislation such as tax reform that is largely contributing to income inequality, now they’re coming out and saying poverty isn’t even a problem anymore,” he said.

Contact Liz Skalka at lskalka@theblade.com, 419-724-6199, or on Twitter @lizskalka.

First Published July 22, 2018, 2:08 a.m.