Voters pick Manchester

Susan Manchester of Waynesfield on Tuesday night emerged as the winner in a close three-way fight for the Republican party's nominee for the 84th District Ohio House seat held by Keith Faber, R-Celina.

Manchester,
who garnered 5,398 votes in four counties to defeat Travis Faber of Celina and Aaron Heilers of Anna, advances to the November general election. She'll square off against Democratic opponent Joe Monbeck of Wapakoneta, who ran uncontested in his party's primary.

"I just want to say thank you to everyone who supported my campaign," Manchester told the newspaper on Tuesday night, extending gratitude to those who shared her posts on Facebook or put signs up in their yards. "I couldn't have done it without you."

She also thanked Faber and Heilers for running excellent campaigns that kept the race competitive.

The 84th District encompasses Mercer County and portions of Auglaize, Darke and Shelby counties. According to unofficial results, Manchester carried only Auglaize County but took in enough total votes to come out ahead of Faber and Heilers.

She strongly won Auglaize County with 54.43 percent or 1,854 votes while Faber took Darke County with 43.81 percent or 1,719 votes; Heilers squeaked through to carry Mercer County with 34.51 percent or 1,665 votes and also decidedly won Shelby County with 57.74 percent or 1,481 votes.

But in the end, Manchester won the contest with 5,398 total votes to Faber's 4,713 and Heiler's 4,608.

Manchester, 30, is single. She holds bachelor's degrees in political science and psychology from The Ohio State University and a master's degree in political management from The George Washington University.

She is the community outreach director for Big Brothers Big Sisters of West Central Ohio.

Asked during campaign season about her relevant experience for the 84th District Ohio House seat, Manchester pointed to the five years she had spent in Washington, D.C., working in U.S. Rep. Jim Jordan's office. There, she saw firsthand the disconnect between many politicians and the country - the same disconnection that has frustrated Ohioans, she said.

She explained she was able to glean what works and what doesn't work in the political process and would funnel that insight into being an effective advocate for the district's constituents.

"I saw the frustration firsthand," she said, adding she's seen too many politicians lose sight of the people who put them into office.  

Working with Jordan, Manchester said she knows what it takes to stay true to the district and would share the congressman's bold style of leadership while fighting for conservative values.

Manchester said she takes the time to get to know the concerns of residents and would work to "get government out of the way so people can do what they do best."

The top concerns she's heard from people when out and about in the district are jobs, the economy and the opioid epidemic, which, in a way, are interrelated, she said.

By showing younger people meaningful employment opportunities are available, they'll find they can earn good money and be self-sufficient, making them less likely to engage in drugs while at the same time filling employers' growing needs for skilled workers, she said.