Name of Candidate: Bob Bridges

Political party: Libertarian

Background:

Bridges has been the Vice Chairman of the Executive Committee of the Libertarian Party of Ohio since 2012. He joined the Army right after high school. After that he became a tow truck driver and moved to Ohio. He’s married, has two kids and three cats.             

Why should I care?

“Voting for me as a Libertarian, I will sit in the office and not play partisan politics. I will check endeavors like JobsOhio, which our current auditor started to and stopped. The question is why did he stop,” he said in a statement.

Message for Kent State students:

“The purpose of the auditor’s office is to have openness and transparency,” he said. “I am a firm believer in that and government being open. We as citizens deserve, and we should demand, to know where and how our money is being spent.”

Name of Candidate: John Patrick Carney

Political party: Democrat

Background:

Carney has been a healthcare attorney for 13 years and has put together doctor practices all across the country. In the last six years, he has been a member of the General Assembly and still practices law. He is married and has two daughters.

Why should I care?

“When I get elected to the offices, I have avid ideas to create bipartisanship and unfortunately because of gerrymandered districts there is a bunch of elected people who don’t have any incentive to actually make choices based on information. I would push for more competitive districts to encourage those elected officials to work together to solve problems. The auditor also has the power to pull the curtains back and show the public how their money is being spent. For Kent State students the amount of tax dollars going to support public higher education within Ohio has diminished significantly. The students deserve to understand where your money is going and to know if your needs are being met,” Carney said.

Message for Kent State students:

“I am a lot like Kent State students. I certainly benefited from a public university when I was going to Ohio State. We should be doing more to provide access to great jobs for college graduates. People who are 50 or 60 years old in office right now have no appreciation of how expensive college is and how hard it is to find jobs. I have that appreciation, and I know we can still push forward and help students find jobs.

Name of Candidate: David Yost

Political party: Republican

Background:

David Yost has served as auditor for the state of Ohio since 2011. Dave Yost and his wife, Darlene, live in Franklin County. They have three children and three grandchildren, and are active members of Northgate Community Church, according to his official election website.

Why should I care?

Yost was not available for comment at the time of publication.

Message for Kent State students:

Yost was not available for comment at the time of publication.