By Laura A. Hobson
Staff Reporter
LHobson@cherryroad.com

The incumbent District 29th state representative is facing a Democrat on the Nov. 5 ballot.

State Rep. Republican Cindy Abrams is running for reelection against Democrat Joe Salvato.

Abrams, a two-term state rep and a former Cincinnati Police officer, said she is running to continue “fighting for Southwest Ohio and to build upon our work to ensure that Ohio remains and affordable state for working-class families and businesses.”

Her top three issues in this race are ensuring public safety, securing a balanced state budget and continuing to lower taxes for all Ohioans.

“Public service has been ever present throughout my life. As a former Cincinnati police officer, I answered the call to serve. In the statehouse, I care about my constituent’s needs. I’m committed to being a problem solver,” Abrams said.

She counts prioritizing communication as one of her best strengths in running for reelection. “I listen to all sides of an issue,” she said.

Abrams and her husband Doug have two sons.

Democrat Salvato is a Colerain Township resident. His work experience includes serving as a protective service worker for child abuse and neglect in Mingo County, West Virginia, a staff accountant, regional plant controller and inventory manager.

Salvato said he is retired, but remains active by working on political campaigns, environmental and social justice issues, and volunteering on church committees. He and his wife Diane have four children and four grandchildren.

“I chose to run because I care about people to engage in honest conversations to give the people of Ohio House District 29 a voice, to challenge a GOP opponent who did not have a Democrat challenger in 2020 and 2022,” he said.

He wants “to establish a progressive volunteer based political infrastructure in the district to increase progressive voter turnout with the goal to flip District 29 to blue.”

Salvato has three top issues for his campaign. First, he wants to “defend democracy by opposing any future attempts by the GOP supermajority to grab more power from the voters, such as its August 2023 ballot initiative to greatly stiffen the criteria for voter-led ballot initiatives, which was soundly defeated and by educating voters on Issue 1 to ban gerrymandering to create fair district and fair elections by voting yes.”

In addition, he supports reproductive freedom by fully recognizing the 2023 Right to Reproductive Freedom amendment passed in November 2023.

Salvato said he plans to “support quality public education by limiting school vouchers, which primarily benefit the more affluent at the expense of public schools.”

He said he would make a good candidate because of his common sense and diverse background. He has a psychology degree from Duke University, an accounting degree from Marshall University, and a certified public accountant designation.

Currently, he is a commissioner for the Presbyterian Synod of the Covenant for over 80,000 Presbyterians in Michigan and Ohio.