Republican candidates vie for 6th District U.S. Congress seat nomination | News, Sports, Jobs

LISBON — U.S. Rep. Bill Johnson has three challengers in the Republican party primary for Ohio’s 6th Congressional District on Tuesday — John Anderson, Michael Morgenstern and Gregory Zelenitz.

The new 6th Congressional District includes all of Jefferson, Harrison, Columbiana, Carroll, Belmont, Mahoning, Monroe, Noble and Washington counties and portions of Stark and Tuscarawas counties. Mahoning is the district’s most-populous county.

Bill Johnson

Johnson, R-Marietta, 67, has served the 6th Congressional District since 2011. Raised on the family farm and retiring as a lieutenant colonel with the U.S. Air Force after about 26 years of service, he has been the recipient of the Air Force Meritorious Service Medal, the Air Force Commendation Medal, and the National Defense Service Medal.

He has seen his district shift.

“I’m not at all unhappy with the new territory,” Johnson said, noting that although the new areas are adding a lot of new people, the campaign is in the process of getting to know those folks and finding their concerns very similar to the other counties in the district.

Johnson said everyone is concerned about inflation, which he calls a tax on every American. He notes that inflation has risen to 8.5 percent, the highest in 40 years.

“How do you go from the best economy in 50 years to having the worst economy in 40 years?” Johnson asked, noting that while there has been a recent push by President Joe Biden to blame Russian President Vladimir Putin, inflation began long before the war.

Johnson said he favors utilizing the resources of the coal- and natural-gas rich areas in Ohio, adding it is important to put American energy resources back into play. Johnson serves on the House Energy and Commerce Committee, is a member of the House Shale Caucus and the Co-Chairman of the House Natural Gas Caucus.

John Anderson

John Anderson, who spent more than 40 years as a civilian contractor working with Air Force military projects, said he knows where the waste is from government contracts and spent his career cutting it.

A native of the south side of Youngstown, Anderson, 70, said he is concerned about the current situation in the country.

“We’re in a desperate situation,” Anderson said. “This is the most corrupt, inept government, we’ve ever had.”

After graduating from Woodrow Wilson High School in 1969 and Youngstown State University in 1974, Anderson worked a year with Youngstown police before going to the Wright-Patterson Air Force base in 1977, where he was involved in acquisition logistics and sustainment. He worked with various airplane contracts through the years — the F-16s, B-1 and C-17s — making sure the planes were ready, moving equipment as needed and making certain the replacement parts for the planes were available with minimal delays.

If elected to Congress, he plans to use his expertise to cut costs and waste, outsourcing jobs to private contractors if the government’s current system cannot compete.

“If you elect me, I will be there for you,” Anderson said. “I was there for the military and I will be there for my country. We must impeach (President Joe) Biden and (Vice President Kamala) Harris, right away. They are not enforcing our laws.”

Anderson said he is concerned about the illegal immigrants invading the country and that the current leadership does not understand that the country is not ready for green energy.

He points to the U.S. being $10 trillion in debt in 2010, a number that has now increased to $32 trillion with $6 trillion of that happening in the last two years. He also said the country must stay out of no-win wars, protect children from the “child abuse” of wokeness of teaching sex education to and Critical Race Theory.

He points out the incumbent wins 98 percent of the time, but said if people re-elect Johnson then nothing will change.

Michael Morgenstern

Michael S. Morgenstern, 33, of Poland is a Columbiana High School graduate who served in the U.S. Marine Corps from 2008-13. He was deployed to Afghanistan in 2012. Now he is employed as a low voltage technician and utilizing the skills he learned in the military.

“I saw the need,” Morgenstern said of his decision to run for Congress. “There is no honesty in Congress. I believe we need to have honesty.”

He took a sign from God that he needed to run and he has a list of several things he believes need to be accomplished.

He sees a need for term limits and has signed a declaration that he will pursue it. He wants to see representatives limited to three terms (six years) in the House and two terms (12 years) for senators.

“I don’t believe in career politicians,” Morgenstern said, noting Johnson has been in office for 12 years at the end of this term.

He also is in favor of reforming the schedule one status of marijuana. He believes marijuana should be a schedule three substance, where lower level drugs with less potential for abuse are placed.

While Ohio is one of the 37 states that allows for medical marijuana, Morgenstern feels that it still creates contradictions. For instance, Morgenstern said he has a medical marijuana permit and a concealed carry permit. Yet those things are not compatible for “many good citizens living their best lives.”

Gregory Zelenitz

Gregory M. Zelenitz, 66, describes himself as a self-employed businessman since the age of 18, who knows what it is like to make up a payroll.

Zelenitz, a resident of St. Clairsville, graduated from St. John Central High School and attended Ohio University and Belmont College. Additionally, he is a graduate of the Reppert School of Auctioneering and works as a licensed auctioneer and a real estate agent.

“I’m a fan of any business,” Zelenitz said. “I can surely appreciate what the businessman today has to go through.”

Zelenitz said he believes he is the only businessman in the field of Republicans in this primary with the other three primarily retired veterans.

He is concerned about the health care system and the lack of at home care providers for the elderly. When his own mother needed assistance, she was unable to get help to stay in her home. She had to go into nursing care and because of COVID-19 he was unable to go in and see her.

He has concerns that criminals are crossing the southern border with drugs and guns, but said it is difficult to get permission for people from Ukraine to legally come and work.

If elected Zelenitz said he will provide a voice for the area, something he does not believe Johnson has the ability to do.

“Let’s make America sane again,” Zelenitz said. “There are a lot of bad ideas. Someone needs to stand up with a voice of reason and a voice of sanity.”

He believes with all the oil, gas and coal in Ohio, those resources should be utilized and it should be Ohio’s leaders who are speaking up about what Ohio can help provide for the rest of the country.

Tuesday’s winner will face the winner of the Democrat primary in November.