DaytonDailyNews.com

DAYTON — Charles Morton and Ann Siefker each ran for a seat in the Ohio House of Representatives, and they ran in districts where members of their political parties were in the minority.

Apparently both were decent, capable people interested in doing good in their communities. But they were underdogs, and unlike what you see in Hollywood movies, underdogs usually lose.

Still Morton and Siefker have no regrets, and they both said they'd consider doing it again — putting their lives on hold to once more fight the good fight.

Siefker said running for office made 2008 one of the hardest years in her life. "I think I may have been one of the only ones running who also had a 40-hour-a-week regular job," Siefker said. "I was in a constant state of exhaustion the last couple months of the campaign.

"But I got my message out."

Siefker, a Republican from Dayton, ran against Roland Winburn, a Democrat, and a trustee from Harrison Twp. for the seat in Ohio House District 40. She lost by a wide margin in the heavily Democratic district, but she feels her campaign still had an impact.

Siefker said that early in the race Winburn's positions seemed kind of vague, but they became more and more focused as he was required to respond to ideas she formulated about how state government should be run.

"I hope he takes some of what I said along with him when he takes office," she said.

Morton of New Lebanon came closer to winning than Siefker did, possibly because Democrat Morton's campaign was able to raise about $50,000 to challenge Republican and Huber Heights council member Seth Morgan for the Ohio House District 36 seat.

It was the endless grind of fundraising that Morton found the most unpleasant part of the experience.

"That's the toughest thing — asking people for money," Morton said. "They're going to have to try to take some of the money out of the process. That would make it more attractive for people to try to run."

Both Morton and Siefker said there were negatives associated with running for office, but there were a lot more positives. It was, they said, a growth experience.

"If somebody is entertaining the idea of running, they shouldn't let anything stop them," Morton said. "I don't think anybody should ever run unopposed."

Running for a state office can be kind of daunting, but in 2009, an off-year election, cities and villages will be electing mayors and council members, townships will choose trustees and school districts will be looking for board members.

So, have you ever thought about running?

It will be a lot of work, but most things that are worthwhile involve work and sacrifice. And win or lose, people who run for office learn things and make connections that make them more effective citizens.

Contact this reporter at (937) 225-2395 or

jcummings@DaytonDailyNews.com.