Trending
BILL JOHNSON
Age: 67
Political party:
Republican
Occupation: U.S. House member
Previous elected
experience: U.S. House member, first elected in 2010
Goals: To continue providing exceptional
constituent services, reduce the high cost of living by restoring America's energy
independence and working on bipartisan
solutions to solve problems.
LOUIS G. LYRAS
Age: 71
Political party:
Democratic
Occupation: President and CEO of Corcon Inc., a bridge painting company, and co-owner of Penguin City Beer
Previous elected
experience: None
Goals: To attract businesses to the area, energy independence and bring money to public schools and universities.
U.S. Rep. Bill Johnson, a six-term congressman, and Louis G. Lyras, his Democratic opponent in the 6th Congressional District race, say energy independence is among their top priorities.
The 6th District includes all of Mahoning, Columbiana, Carroll, Jefferson, Belmont, Harrison, Monroe, Noble and Washington counties and portions of Stark and Tuscarawas counties.
Mahoning is the most-populous county in the district.
Congressional district boundaries were redrawn by the Ohio Redistricting Commission and are only good for this election after the Ohio Supreme Court found the map to be unconstitutional.
The 6th District favors Republicans 59.06 percent to 40.94 percent for Democrats based on partisan voting trends during the past decade, according to the redistricting commission.
JOHNSON
Johnson, R-Marietta, is seeking his seventh two-year term in Congress.
His priorities include continuing to provide strong constituent services, reducing the high cost of living by restoring the nation's energy independence and working on bipartisan solutions to tackle problems.
"My constituent services have been largely the thing I've been most proud of because, after all, that's who I work for," Johnson said.
He added: "I've helped countless Ohioans cut through the red tape and bureaucracy at federal agencies and have helped get many of them the benefits they've earned."
Johnson said the United States "must reclaim the energy independence we had just a few short years ago under the (Donald) Trump administration and reduce the high cost of thousands of many essentials needed in everyday American life -- everything from the gas pump to the grocery store."
Johnson backs fracking, including on public lands, as well easing federal restrictions on drilling for oil and gas, including in Ohio.
"I'm not a climate denier," he said. "I just happen to believe that Republicans have better ideas about how to address climate change than simply turning off the spigot and begging the Russians and the Saudis and the Venezuelans for their oil. Let's start producing here at home."
He urged the President Joe Biden administration to support his Unlocking our Domestic LNG (liquid natural gas) Potential Act, which Johnson said "will help preserve the future of American energy, protect American jobs and strengthen our national security."
Johnson also supports the development of nuclear power.
"I believe in an all-of-the-above energy policy," he said.
While Johnson overwhelmingly votes with fellow Republicans, he said he often looks for bipartisan solutions and is proud of his work in particular with U.S. Rep. Tim Ryan, D-Howland, on advocating for more natural gas development, federal funding for the downtown Youngstown redevelopment project and growth at the Youngstown Air Reserve Station in the Mahoning Valley.
"I have a great working relationship with members of the other party," Johnson said.
Johnson said he's proud to be a member of the House Problem Solvers Caucus, which includes 58 members -- 29 from each political party.
"We focus on those areas where we can find common ground," he said. "I think that's one of the reasons why I've had 20-plus pieces of legislation signed into law by presidents of both parties."
LYRAS
Lyras is president and CEO of Corcon Inc., a bridge painting company in Lowellville. He is also co-owner of Penguin City Beer in downtown Youngstown.
"I'm not a politician," he said."I'm a job creator ... That's what I've done all my life. I've been an entrepreneur all my life. I've been a businessman. I've created businesses."
Among his top priorities, Lyras said are economic development, energy independence and providing more federal funding to public schools and universities.
Lyras said the money that's in the congressional district from the American Rescue Plan will attract businesses and economic development. The area is centrally located with a strong workforce, he said.
Once the ARP money runs out, Lyras said the federal government should create another program to help local governments.
"We've got to make sure we continue the progress that we have to do to make the country great," he said.
Lyras said he also wants the nation to become energy independent through wind, natural gas and nuclear energy.
"Climate control is an issue," he said. "We could be 100 percent energy independent and it would reduce inflation."
Lyras said he wants to work with local and state officials to bring money to fund public schools and focus on research at universities "to make our area a technology magnet for all companies so that we keep our young talent home and local. We need to build the educational foundation that will attract new businesses and new industries as well as encourage and support entrepreneurship."
Lyras ran in 2020 as a Republican in the current 13th Congressional District, finishing second out of seven candidates with 11.9 percent of the vote. He filed nominating petitions as an independent candidate in that same district in 2018, but failed to make the general election ballot.
Lyras said he's always leaned left even when he was a Republican, and decided the Democratic Party is more aligned with his political views on various issues such as pro-choice, LGBTQ rights, gun control and collective bargaining for workers.
"I was always pro-choice; I'm not pro-Trump, that's for sure," he said. "I didn't think it should have been that much of a problem. But I learned differently later. When I lost, I endorsed Tim Ryan. Thinking about it now, I believed in Democratic philosophies" all along.
Lyras said he could bring Democrats and Republicans together if elected.