Voters Guide: Dean vs. Duffee for Statehouse District 71 in Greene, Clark area

All candidates for local and state office were sent the same series of questions by the Dayton Daily News. Our goal was to help voters make informed choices in the Nov. 8 election (early voting for which begins Oct. 12).

Ohio’s new 71st Statehouse district includes Xenia, Yellow Springs and eastern Greene County, plus parts of southern Clark County and all of Clinton County.

This race is between incumbent Republican Bill Dean and Democratic challenger Jim Duffee. The candidates’ answers are below, in their own words. Candidates are listed in alphabetical order, except when one candidate has not responded.

Jim Duffee

Residence: Yellow Springs

Organizations, boards, previous elected positions: Chair Emeritus, Council on Community Pediatrics, American Academy of Pediatrics; Past chair, Medical Advisory Council, program for Children with Medical Handicaps (aka, BCMH); Ohio Department of Health; Past board member, Montgomery Reach Out; Founding board member, Clark County Child Advocacy Center.

I am the founding physician of Rocking Horse Community Health Center in Springfield. Opened in 1999 and located in a low-resource, medically underserved region, Rocking Horse has grown to become a full status federally qualifies health center and achieves almost 60,000 visits per year for community members of all ages. The services include medical, mental health, dental, and social care.

Education: MD, MPH

Current employment: Retired pediatrician

Why are you seeking elected office: For over twenty five years, I have worked to improve the lives of children, families, and communities in the Miami Valley. As representative, I plan to continue the same work at a policy and funding level.

Why should voters elect you: My experience and education prepare me to make the best decisions about health, education, public safety and economic development that support families, encourage healthy communities, and secure democracy.

If elected, what will be your top three priorities? An overarching priority is to bring an end to gerrymandering and draw fair maps so that elections in Ohio are free and secure. Reproductive freedom and common sense gun safety regulations are other high priorities.

What specific plans do you have to address those top priorities? The Ohio redistricting process failed because of obstruction by the Republican members of the Redistricting Commission. The Republicans violated the trust of the people, defied the Supreme Court of Ohio, and flagrantly disregarded the nearly 75% of Ohioans who voted for Issue 1 in 2018. Ending gerrymandering will require appointing an independent redistricting commission, making sure all persons (and their votes) are counted, abolishing racial discrimination in voting, and assuring meaningful public participation.

Comprehensive reproductive health, including the rights to bodily autonomy and privacy, is basic to women’s rights. To support healthy and economically strong families, women should be able to decide when, with whom, and under what circumstances to start a family. The decision to prevent or end a pregnancy is a private healthcare decision that should be left to the pregnant person in consultation with family members, physicians, and religious advisors.

Firearms are the leading cause of death in children and youth under 24 years. Mass murders, such as the tragedy in the Oregon District, need to stop. The epidemic of injury and death should be treated as a public health emergency. To promote responsible gun ownership, firearms should be regulated as any other consumer product, licensure requirements should include background checks and standardized education, and extreme risk protection orders (“red flag laws”) should be available to protect at-risk persons from suicide and communities from mass murder.

Anything else you would like voters to know? The campaign website is www.drjimduffee.com

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Bill Dean

No response