OUR COMMUNITIES 

DESERVE BETTER 

Ohio Congressional District 15 Candidate Comparison

Don Leonard

Don Leonard knows what it's like to struggle. Raised by a single mother, he experienced poverty and homelessness growing up. Those experiences shaped his commitment to ensuring every Ohio family has the opportunity to succeed. As a teacher, he has empowered his students and fought against efforts to attack free speech.

Mike Carey

Mike Carey spent more than two decades advancing the interests of the coal industry, including serving as a lobbyist for Murray Energy—a company linked to the largest public corruption scandal in Ohio history and legislation that continues to increase Ohioans’ electric bills. Carey was once described as a “one-man wrecking ball” for his efforts to defeat legislation that would have placed environmental guardrails on the industry.

Affordability
Healthcare
Education

AFFORDABILITY

Don Leonard

Don believes one job should be enough to support a family—and that Congress needs to deliver for working people. He supports creating a new GI Bill to help build more starter homes and making childcare available to every family. He has also refused corporate PAC money, so his decisions won’t be influenced by industry lobbyists. And he is a strong advocate for protecting programs like SNAP that help families put food on the table.

Mike Carey

Mike Carey has stood in lockstep with President Trump on the war in Iran. He repeatedly voted against legislation that would have ended U.S. involvement in the conflict—even as the war drives up prices at the pump and increases fertilizer costs for local farmers, contributing to higher grocery prices. Carey also voted against legislation designed to rein in price-gouging practices in the meat and poultry industries, which would have increased competition and helped lower food costs.

HEALTHCARE

Don Leonard

Leonard believes quality, affordable healthcare should be available to every Ohioan—not just those who can afford it. He supports creating a public health insurance option and protecting reproductive freedom, earning the endorsement of Planned Parenthood Advocates of Ohio.

Mike Carey

Mike Carey voted for legislation that makes deep cuts to Medicaid, threatening healthcare coverage for hundreds of thousands of Ohioans while delivering tax breaks to corporations and the wealthy. He has repeatedly opposed efforts to lower healthcare costs and protect affordable coverage. Carey also opposes abortion rights: He co-sponsored legislation establishing legal personhood at conception—which could effectively ban abortion nationwide—and voted against protecting the right to contraception and codifying Roe v. Wade.

EDUCATION

Don Leonard

Don Leonard has spent his career standing up for public education, working people, and students’ freedom of speech. He earned the endorsement of the Ohio Federation of Teachers, which is fighting to fully fund our public schools and give every student the resources needed to thrive.

Mike Carey

Mike Carey has supported school vouchers that divert resources from already underfunded public schools. He also voted to create the nation’s first federal tax-credit program supporting private-school scholarships—directing federal tax benefits toward private education.