XENIA — Incumbent state representative Brian Lampton is being challenged by first-time candidate Eric Price for the District 70 seat in the Ohio House of Representatives.
Lampton currently represents District 73, which includes Beavercreek, Bellbrook, Fairborn, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Wright State University, Yellow Springs and Clifton. The new District 70 drops Yellow Springs and Clifton and adds Spring Valley.
Lampton
Lampton, who would be starting his second term if re-elected in November, wants to see his distracted driving bill passed.
“We must make distracted driving a priority offense and start the culture change of distracted driving,” he said. “At least 40 other states has passed similar legislation and they show after two years, a 25-30 percent reduction in fatal crashes. This bill will save lives.”
Lampton, who owns an insurance agency, has sponsored 10 pieces of legislation, six of which have been passed into law. One is a DoD priority — cutting the red tape and making it easier for military families to enroll their children in school as they transfer to Ohio.
“Another bill gives country auditors the ability to provide property tax relief to homeowners,” Lampton said. “Several other bills were supported by the business community providing clarity for workers compensation and consumer protections from insolvent insurance companies. These provide market stability and help keep Ohio competitive to attract new business.”
He recently gave his stamp of approval on local task force funding announced to support reducing drug use and provide substance abuse awareness and prevention.
“I supported the funding for this program in the state’s operating budget last year,” Lampton said. “This is one step in the right direction in fighting the drug epidemic here in Ohio and I look forward to seeing how the program will aid Greene County specifically.”
His 2023 goals include a focus on public safety, especially in schools.
“We need to allocate additional resources to our schools so they can execute safety plans in every school building across Ohio,” Lampton said. “Another priority is an increased focus on mental health, which affects our employers and touches every Ohioan. I also want to continue to work to improve Ohio’s business climate.”
Lampton, a Beavercreek resident for 20 years, has two grown children, and is engaged to Karen Pfeiffer.
Price
Price spent 27 years in the law enforcement/security field while working for the United States Air Force.
He said he doesn’t like “how things are going.”
“We need to get all the schools on the same page,” Price said. “We need to strategize over things. Schools are having to come up with their plans which is wasting tax dollars.”
Price has no prior political experience and has been going door-to-door campaigning.
“I like getting to know people from the area and I’m learning a lot from people in the area,” Price said. “I think it’s important to listen to everyone.”
One of his goals is to start a special program through Veteran Services.
“I’d like to start a ‘buddy’ program or mentorship program to help get vets to talk to other vets,” Price said. “There’s a lot of things we can do to help our veterans who not only sustain physical injuries but mental injuries as well.”
He also feels that people need to de-escalate.
“There’s a lot of corruption in Ohio,” Price, who was born and raised in Ohio, said. “Things are a mess. Extremism is trying to destroy our democratic republic. Rather than working towards a ‘more perfect Union’ our founding fathers wrote about in our Constitution, there are folks trying to repeat the mistakes of our past. This is what caused me to run for state representative.”
According to his campaign literature, Price is pro-choice and has been endorsed by the Progressive Turnout Project and U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown.
Price, and his wife Jean, are former Xenia residents and have raised three daughters and a son. They now live in Sugarcreek Township.