Koehler
McGregor
XENIA — A former state rep and a first-time candidate are on the Nov. 5 ballot to serve as senator for Ohio District 10.
Republican Kyle Koehler and Democrat Dan McGregor are vying to fill the seat, which will be vacated by Bob Hackett, who is term-limited and can not run again. The district covers agriculture-rich Clark, Greene, and Clinton counties.
Koehler, 63, grew up and lives in Clark County where he raised his family and watches his children raise his seven grandkids. He currently works at the family business, KK Tool Co., with his five siblings. He previously worked from Jan. 2015 to Dec. 2022 as the 79th District Representative in the Ohio House of representatives.
Dan McGregor, 66, grew up in Indiana and worked as a civilian employee for the Civil Engineering Group at Edwards Air Force Base in California before settling down in Beavercreek four and a half years ago. This is his first time running for office and currently works for a defense contractor on base.
Hackett has worked for the agriculture communities of Ohio and both candidates said they desired to continue the progress and protect the industry.
Of the major issues important to the constituents, the two see money being used incorrectly and a lack of civility among politicians in office as major concerns.
“We need to bring civility back to the Ohio General Assembly,” Koehler said.
Imbalance motivated McGregor to seek election in 2024 after noticing inconsistencies in the state legislature that did not reflect the voters.
“There’s a really key element in the Constitution we all learn when we’re going through high school, checks and balances,” McGregor said. “Checks and balances are vital to a functioning democracy and our checks and balances are being thwarted here in the state of Ohio.”
McGregor hopes to begin “bringing balance to Ohio,” as his campaign slogan says, by increasing the number of democrats in the state senate.
“The current state senate is 80 percent Republican, the state house is 70 percent Republican,” McGregor said. “That is not how Ohio votes. Ohio votes generally around 55 percent to 45 percent, and it may not reflect that exactly, but it’s not 80 percent, 70 percent. Because things are so gerrymandered, that gives the Republicans in the legislature the ability to ignore the voters so they’re not accountable to the voters.”
McGregor is firmly in support of Issue 1 on the upcoming ballot and believes this is the first step in balancing power so that voters can be heard in Ohio.
Koehler sees the plight of property taxes and misuse of public assistance as the top issues he plans to deal with if he gets elected. He hopes to push for tax relief for property owners with fixed incomes, believing that people should be free to pursue their goals without taxes being a major obstacle. As far as the public assistance issue, Koehler aims to prevent the system from being taken advantage of and making sure the people who need the money are getting it.
“I don’t want people to misunderstand and think I am gonna get into office and make a single mom with a four-year-old go to work,” Koehler said. “The three conditions that eliminate people from getting that assistance are: Not disabled, 18-55 years old, and do not have a dependent at home. If people fit those descriptors then they should be working.”
A strong work ethic and family motivates Koehler, and they are characteristics he wants to promote in Ohio. Yet, he recognizes that his ideas are not the most important.
“While I may have an agenda, I am always listening to the voices of the people first,” Koehler said. “I will prioritize what the people want and what concerns them.”
McGregor desires to put checks and balances on the school funding and make sure money is getting to public schools.
“When I moved to Ohio, there were these tax levies, they kept coming up over and over again and I’ve never lived anywhere where the voters had to go — it’s like a continuing resolution in Congress — they have to keep passing levies in order to know that their schools are going to be funded properly.” McGregor said. “And I think this is no way for the school funding to happen.”
He noticed, in particular, that last year $750 million dollars went toward private education via the voucher system. That money cannot be audited and is not visible to voters, McGregor said he wants to change that.
McGregor also hopes to set up a family-friendly economy to ensure the next generation can thrive in the coming years. He hopes to leave Ohio in a better situation than he found it and promote self-governance and a healthy environment for the future.
Both said they look forward to the opportunities before them in hopes of best serving the Ohio people.
“I am excited for this opportunity,” Koehler said. “I was raised here and I raised my family here, the decisions I make will ensure that my grandkids will be able to stay here and continue to call it home.”
Said McGregor, “I think many of the issues that Ohio needs to work on could benefit from somebody who has a broad experience to bring that creativity to the legislative process. And so I hope that Ohioans will give me an opportunity to demonstrate that I certainly plan to when I’m elected.”
Avonlea Brown is a Greene County News intern from Cedarville University. She can be reached through our newsroom at 937-372-4444.
