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Libertarian Don Kissick is on the Ohio governor ballot alongside Republican Vivek Ramaswamy and Democrat Dr. Amy Acton, and in this Ohio Edition interview he makes his case directly. Kissick, who lives in Ottawa in Putnam County, explains how a 2009 layoff from the Honda assembly line during the recession turned a former conservative into a Libertarian, and why he says his campaign rests on three issues: data centers, Flock cameras, and property taxes.
WHAT WE COVERED
The Ramaswamy ad featuring Amy Acton's mother. Ramaswamy's campaign confirmed it produced and is paying to air an ad in which Acton's estranged mother, Donna Arthur, calls her daughter a liar. Acton has said her stepfather sexually abused her as a child, and court records show he was charged in 1978. Kissick says he held a press conference calling on Ramaswamy to leave the race, and we discuss the role of PACs in negative ads.
Data centers in Ohio. Kissick wants an immediate, day one moratorium on new data center projects until the state sets clear rules on site selection, construction, local transparency, and environmental protection. He says no local official should sign a nondisclosure agreement with a developer, questions building on farmland, and asks who pays to decommission a data center once its equipment is obsolete. He also argues the largest tech companies can afford to fund small modular nuclear reactors for their own power.
Flock cameras and license plate readers. Kissick would end public sector use of automated license plate readers in Ohio. Private businesses could still use them on their own property, but he says government should need a warrant to get that footage.
Property taxes and affordability. With the Ax Ohio Tax campaign now aiming for the 2027 ballot, Kissick lays out his plan: eliminate the 5.75 percent state sales tax, let counties keep the sales tax they collect, and have the state write formulas so counties can fund schools, townships, and cities that cross county lines, like Delphos across Allen, Van Wert, and Putnam counties. He says the state would make up the difference with cuts to discretionary spending.
Immigration and ICE. Kissick calls immigration a net positive, opposes deputizing sheriffs and local police for federal immigration enforcement, and supports an Ellis Island style system with vetting. We discuss the death of Pierre Damas Bel, the Haitian Wright State student from Springfield.
Redistricting and the Statehouse. We both oppose partisan gerrymandering, and Kissick predicts Republicans keep their General Assembly majorities but could lose their supermajorities.
Debates. Kissick criticizes Acton for declining to debate Ramaswamy, and says Ramaswamy has declined to debate him.
Election Day is Tuesday, November 3.
CHAPTERS
00:00 Welcome to Purple Political Breakdown Ohio Edition
00:59 Meet Don Kissick, Libertarian for Ohio Governor
01:14 From the Honda Line to the Libertarian Party
03:57 Running Against Jim Jordan in 2010 and the Republican Supermajority
05:36 Partisan Gerrymandering and Ohio Redistricting
07:59 Why Ohio Statehouse Races Matter
08:42 What the Libertarian Party Offers Disaffected Voters
12:58 Political Homelessness and Voters Feeling Unheard
16:59 Constituent Connection: Jim Jordan vs. Marcy Kaptur
18:25 The Ramaswamy Ad Featuring Amy Acton's Mother
19:47 Kissick Calls on Ramaswamy to Drop Out
25:20 Data Centers, AI, and Nondisclosure Agreements
28:09 Banning Public Use of Flock Cameras and ALPRs
31:35 What Happens When a Data Center Becomes Obsolete
34:16 Affordability, the Federal Deficit, and Ohio
37:58 Property Taxes and the Ax Ohio Tax Campaign
38:51 Kissick's Plan to Eliminate the State Sales Tax
42:57 Immigration, ICE, and Pierre Damas Bel
50:06 Why Vote for Kissick: His Three Top Issues
53:40 A Data Center Moratorium and Small Modular Nuclear
56:15 Kissick on Amy Acton and the Debate Standoff
58:58 Ramaswamy Declines to Debate Kissick
59:45 Final Thoughts and Get Out the Vote
RESOURCES
ALIVE Podcast Network: https://alivepodcastnetwork.com/
Linktree: https://linktr.ee/purplepoliticalbreakdown
Discord: https://discord.gg/ptPAsZtHC9
r/PolicySolutions: https://www.reddit.com/r/policysolutions/
Independent Center: https://www.independentcenter.org/
Equal Vote Coalition and STAR Voting: https://www.equal.vote/star
OtherWeb: https://otherweb.com/
Living Room Conversations: https://livingroomconversations.org/
CIVICS App: https://www.civicpolitics.com
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