By Deba Uwadiae

Senator Michele Reynolds (R) is serving her first term in the Ohio Senate District 3, representing the people of Madison and Pickaway counties as well as the residents of Franklin County in Reynoldsburg, Canal Winchester, Grove City, Westerville, New Albany, Groveport, Lockbourne, Obetz, Gahanna, Galloway, Blacklick, Urbancrest, Prairie Township, Jackson Township, Madison Township, Truro Township, Hamilton Township, Franklin Township, Blendon Township, Plain Township, Jefferson Township, Mifflin Township, and portions of Columbus. At the inaugural class of the Ohio Institute of Political Leadership, organized by the Ohio Chamber of Commerce with the theme “Empowering Future Leaders” Senator Michele Reynolds was paired with Senator Hearcel Craig, who incidentally graced the cover of the last edition of the New Americans magazine to share experiences on leadership, election, challenges, funding, and relationship with other colleagues in the Ohio State Senate.  With 23 sponsored bills and 15 co-sponsored bills to her credit, Senator Reynolds described herself as a bridge builder, adding that “leadership is very collaborative.”

Leadership

If there is a problem, I want to know what I can do to lean-in and try to solve that problem. Even as a child, as an only child, my mum, who was in the military and travelled a lot, used to tell me that the other parents will be like “what are we going to do if Michele leaves? She’s always organizing our kids, she is always taking this leadership role and galvanizing the neighborhood and saying we are going to solve this problem.” I have always been someone that inspired people to do pretty much anything that is positive.

It’s just really made sense when I grew up and started to become more civically aware of what was going on around me, in the position that I held. I came out of the nonprofit sector, a sector where you are trying to deal with a lot of social issues.

Election

At the age of 25 I ran for my first public office. I am from the Jefferson County area. I grew up in Jefferson County and I ran for village council; I didn’t win but I learned a lot. I ran for my next office at 40 years old and I still didn’t win that office, but I kept going.

In 2018 I ran for the Franklin County Commissioner, and I didn’t win. The next year, 2019, I ran for Madison County Board of Trustees, and I won that office and also, I was appointed by Governor Mike DeWine to serve in the Faith-based department in his cabinet. I left after 3years and ran for Senate; and here I am as Ohio State Senator.

Challenges

There are a lot of things that are challenging when you are first running for an office. First of all, it is knowing where to start. You have to be all over your district, you have to understand where the boundaries are. You have to form a team. You have to know what is effective or what is not effective. The first thing you should know is you should never go alone. With my very first campaign at the age of 25 I had no idea of what to do. I knew that I was passionate, I knew I wanted to do something, and I had to just do it. I literally made my own sign. I went to the hardware store, I got some construction papers, and I just like made my own signs, put them in yards. I did whatever I thought I could do. But I have come a long way since then because there are groups that can help to do this.

By the time I ran the second time, there was actually a political party, there was an infrastructure of volunteers of people and resources. If you are going to run for office you should definitely be getting around your people, your circle of people who think like you, who share the same policies and ideas, who are willing to volunteer, to support you because you have to build a team. That is one of the biggest things I have learned. That is one of the things that has made me successful; and that is leading through people and not just doing this by myself. We are not like superhumans or superheroes. When you have a team, then you can raise captains to be in different places so that you can really get your message out and you can galvanize support and build a coalition.

Fund

Fund raising is very tough. You have to get people to buy in, not necessarily in you, but your message. They have to be part of that. You have to make them believe in the course.  People value what they pay for.

Senator Hearel Craig

I am impressed by the work we have been able to do together. It was very rewarding for me coming to the State Senate, being new and having the opportunity to be a Chair in my freshman year. A major issue is facing Ohio, which is housing where 200,000 units of housing is in an affordability crisis.  I find it very humble to be able to not only lead that charge in the state of Ohio but to work alongside the ranking member Craig to be able to solve that problem. It was divine appointment for the fact that I had to be there at this point in time. We have a very small window to make a difference. I want to make it better when I leave.

Political Party

As many African Americans, I will love Democrat being from a black family. But I grew up in a very rural part of the state in Ohio. I was raised primarily by my grandparents because my mum, a single mum, was in the military. My grandparents were very conservative, although we grew up democrat, they were very conservative, business owners, third generation business owners. My grandmother used to be a domestic, she used to clean homes for Jewish doctors and lawyers. When she was in her 40s, her and my grandfather opened a family business. The way that my grandmother raised me was truly conservative. When I got older and started to have my own job and started to build my own company, I started to look into different values, I recognized that I actually leaned a lot more towards conservative than what necessarily like traditionally identity politics. I was democrat all the way up until Obama. In 2016, I was bestowed with a Presidential Lifetime Achievement Award from former President Barack Obama. But I refute the notion that there is a political party that pretty much hates us. I want to see my people free; I want to solve problems. I want to see that the party that I chose that there are a lot of ways and solutions that problems are solved. I want that for my people.

Backlash

Have I taken a lot of backlashes because of my choices, absolutely. When you are a pioneer, sometimes you have to be a part of people they don’t understand. I will respect it, but people will see my results. I believe that leadership is very collaborative. I don’t see it as picking on one side or another. Leadership is a collaborative language. It is different from being an activist or an advocate. Leaders lead and listen to people. Advocates talk at people. I am not that person. I am somebody that likes to collaborate. When you are in the public office you have to be able to work with everybody. That is why Senator Craig and I have been able to work more like bridge builders, we’ve been able to work collaboratively on a lot of different issues. I no longer have what I consider as misaligned identity. This is the party I have chosen because I believe that it suits the “how” of pushing policies forward.  I couldn’t have won without some democratic support, so I built bridges. I won because I worked really hard.

Support the New Americans magazine to continue to serve our community with precise news that affect the new American, immigrant and refugee community. https://paypal.com/donate/?hosted_button_id=8LHFS78NRNJJY&source=url