James Howard Announces for State Senate

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE November 5, 2007
Eighteen Year Old to Seek Ohio Senate Seat
BEAVERCREEK, Ohio – Wittenberg University freshman James E. Howard, a 2007 graduate of Beavercreek High School, will formally declare his candidacy for the Ohio Senate 10th District on Monday, November 12, according to his campaign. The 10th District includes Clark, Greene, and Madison counties. At eighteen, Howard is of the youngest legal age able to seek public office in the United States.
“I want to represent the people,” Howard said. “I feel there are issues that my opponents are not emphasizing, and while my opponents look out for the money and their interests, I look out for the people.”
Howard, a Republican, will be facing State Rep. Chris Widener (R-Springfield) and former Greene County Commissioner W. Reed Madden in March 2008’s primary election. Lack of “experience” does not faze the teenager, however, who enjoys “tennis, politics, sports…, going to the gun range, hanging out with friends, meeting new people, [and] getting different perspectives,” according to his blog.
The campaign’s focus, according to his website HowardForOhio.com, will involve education, fiscal conservatism, conservation, health care, youth issues, and faith’s role in government. But the promotional emphasis of the site is certainly on contacting the campaign: Howard’s tech-savvy age bracket speaks through the number of links available to social networking websites like Facebook and MySpace, a blog, and even YouTube videos.
“Although I want to represent all citizens, reaching out to my generation is of great importance to me,” Howard said.The candidate, who quotes a Muhammad Ali statement about what “champions” are in his speeches, will make his formal announcement at his college, Wittenberg University in Springfield, at 10:00am on Monday at the historic Myers Hall. He will proceed to “announcement events” and house parties throughout the district the rest of the week in all 3 counties. The following week, he will complete a rollout of speeches representing his top 3 goals: education, economy, and health care, one each in Clark, Greene, and Madison counties.