Toledo City Councilmen Michele Grim and Nick Komives both filed to run for Ohio’s 42nd Statehouse District on Tuesday, submitting their paperwork to the Lucas County Board of Elections.
In the at-large candidate election last November, Mr. Komives and Ms. Grim came in second and third out of 12 candidates in voting, respectively. Ms. Grim spent heavily on advertising to win her council seat.
“I believe that the work that I’ve done has really benefitted our community in this city and I’ve truly taken on the concept of being a public servant very seriously,” Mr. Komives said. “It’s why I fight for our environment, fight for housing rights, and justice, the list goes on.”
Ms. Grim said in a prepared statement that she is still exploring running for the seat and will decide after the new district boundaries are known. The Republican-drawn state legislative maps are being challenged and have not been upheld by the Ohio Supreme Court.
Ms. Grim, 39, was sworn in for her first term on council less than a month ago.
“I think a lot of people are just fed up with the corruption in Columbus,” she said. “I’ve had several people talk to me and say ‘hey, would you consider running?’”
Ms. Grim criticized the Republican-controlled General Assembly for refusing to move the Wednesday candidate filing deadline for state legislative candidates while the district maps remain unsettled.
“It is ridiculous that Wednesday is the filing deadline when Ohioans don’t know what districts we will be living in,” Ms. Grim said.
Mr. Komives, 37, said that he is fully committed to running for a Statehouse seat and plans to have a more formal campaign announcement once the new maps are released.
“I cut my teeth here [on city council],” Mr. Komives said. “It’s just sort of the next step to continue to fight for Toledo.”
Ms. Grim is a certified health education specialist who teaches part-time as a substitute teacher in Toledo Public Schools and also provides academic support to graduate students in public health. She is a graduate of the University of Toledo with a bachelor’s degree in women and gender studies and a master’s degree in public health. She has a doctor of law and policy degree from Northeastern University.
Mr. Komives also expressed his concern with the big-picture issues that get more attention at the state level.
“I also have been fighting for healthcare and these other larger issues that they might really zoom in on a little bit more at the state level,” he said. “I was approached and asked if I’d be interested in going for it, and I’m thrilled. Policy and legislation is my jam.”
The tentative 42nd House District is considered the successor of the 45th held by Rep. Lisa Sobecki (D., Toledo). As designed, it has a 65 percent Democratic and 32 percent Republican voting record for the previous four years. The new district contains portions of South and southwest Toledo, West Toledo, and Central Toledo, and Ottawa Hills. Ms. Sobecki is running for a seat on the board of Lucas County Commissioners.
“From limiting voters’ access to the ballot box to limiting candidates’ access to the ballot, Republicans are rigging the system and denying Ohioans free and fair elections,” Ms. Grim said.
Ms. Grim said her top priorities are increasing access to healthcare, treating mental health and addiction as top public health priorities, strengthening public safety with common sense gun laws, and protecting women’s rights and women’s healthcare. Ms. Grim worked to establish Toledo City Council’s Health Promotion and Access Committee and chairs the committee.
Ms. Sobecki on Jan. 24 co-introduced a bill to move the 2022 primary election from May 3 to June 7 and to move the filing deadline for legislative candidates to March 3.
Other notable filings from Tuesday included two candidates for Ohio’s 11th Senate District, which is currently held by Democrat Theresa Fedor of Toledo, who was picked as a running mate for gubernatorial candidate John Cranley, a former Cincinnati mayor.
Former Toledo mayor and current 44th Statehouse District Rep. Paula Hicks-Hudson (D., Toledo), and small business owner and former city council candidate Tony Dia, a Toledo Republican, both file to run.
Blade Staff Reporter Trevor Hubert contributed to this story.
First Published February 1, 2022, 1:57 p.m.
