MARTINS FERRY — Concerns about education and other issues that matter to residents of East Ohio will take center stage next month at Martins Ferry High School when the four Democrats who hope to be the next governor of Ohio launch a series of debates.

David Pepper, chairman of the Ohio Democratic Party, said Martins Ferry was chosen as the site of the initial debate because Belmont County and the surrounding region is an area that has been overlooked by state lawmakers and the administration for years. He cited cuts to local government and public school funding, as well as the decision to take severance tax funds generated by natural gas and oil exploration in the area to settle a lawsuit elsewhere, as evidence that local concerns are not a priority in Columbus.

“We don’t think eastern Ohio has done very well by the Statehouse,” Pepper said. “That part of the state has really been ignored by the folks in charge. Our candidates are looking to change that.”

The four candidates who have declared their intent to run so far — former U.S. Rep. Betty Sutton, Dayton Mayor Nan Whaley, former state legislator Connie Pillich, and current state Sen. Joe Schiavoni — will meet at 7 p.m. Sept. 12 at Martins Ferry High School.

Pepper said they hope to debate in all of the state’s regions, with possibly three debates this year and three more next year, all ahead of the 2018 election.

The Republicans have three statewide officeholders and a fourth-term congressman running to succeed two-term GOP Gov. John Kasich, a 2016 presidential challenger to Trump who is term-limited. They are Attorney General Mike DeWine, Secretary of State Jon Husted, Lt. Gov. Mary Taylor, and Rep. Jim Renacci.

Pepper said the Democrats want to highlight that they will be the candidates of change as they try to bounce back from a Republican sweep of 2014 statewide races. They also hope to help Democratic U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown hold onto his seat in his 2018 re-election race.

Pepper expects the Democrat candidates to talk about the impact of Republican policies have had on the state when they visit Martins Ferry, which is situated in a region where Republican Donald Trump ran strongly in the 2016 presidential race.

“Beyond eastern Ohio, we have had seven years of trickle-down economics from Columbus,” Pepper said. “The Statehouse has been taking local government funds and school funds, then the state gives that money out as tax (break) increases at the high end while local communities, schools and those who provide direct services are living within recession year budgets.”

The event is expected to be available on Facebook Live.