Members and guests of the Highland County Democratic Women’s Club welcomed state Rep. Allison Russo at their annual Harvest Dinner this week.

The Minority Leader for the Ohio House Democratic Caucus, Russo spoke freely on the critical issue of gerrymandering and how “the current redistricting process is beyond broken — every meeting is deeply political, every decision a political one,” she said. She shared how her mother embraced the life-changing opportunity to become a union carpenter, a decision that deeply improved the family’s financial stability.

“Later, she continued her education with advanced educational degrees. Watching her succeed cemented my core values such as the importance of creating economic opportunities, that people have the right to that basic freedom and that government should do good for people,” Russo said.

Despite her doctoral degree in health policy from George Washington University and two decades advising government leaders and policymakers on issues of health care financing and delivery needs to vulnerable populations, Russo calls herself, “an accidental politician.” The mother of three recounted that, “The 2016 election changed me in a fundamental way. I was holding my 6-week-old daughter watching the results, thinking, ‘I should have done more.’ Looking down at her, I decided, ‘I will do more.’”

Russo is now serving her third term in the Ohio House representing residents in the Columbus area. In her wide-ranging comments, she stressed the need for a citizen-led commission for redistricting. “Politicians should not be able to create their own representative boundaries,” she said. Regarding efforts to negate the majority opinion of Ohio voters about Issue 1, Russo said, “It is not my job to tell Ohioans what to do for their health care. During hearings on the issue, the stories women told us were unforgettably horrifying and just heartbreaking, but so many Ohio residents came out to support women and reproductive rights, we could hear them from inside the statehouse. We know the people are behind us regarding reproductive care.”

Asked how she remains upbeat as a minority leader negotiating with intensely adversarial colleagues, Russo said, “I try to find something we have in common, something we have shared values on, something we can agree upon. Sometimes, I have to dig deep, but it’s how to build the relationships we need to get things done.”

She said the political environment is wholly different than in the past. “It’s just a completely different world,” she said. Not just nationally, Russo said, “We see constant attacks on our democracy at our statehouse and in the courts. To defend against that, we need to elect individuals who believe government should do good for people and elect justices committed to the rule of law.”

An energetic group of local people enjoyed hearing from Russo, having a shared meal, and participating in a fundraising auction for the local Democratic Women’s Club.

Submitted by Pat Lawrence, publicity committee, Highland County Democratic Party.