Republican State Senator Bill Beagle of Ohio’s 5th district is defending his seat against Democrat Dee Gillis in a race that has become both expensive and contentious.
Gillis has spent seven years as a Tipp City councilwoman, serving as mayor for four years. She says she’s running for state senate to make a difference.
“I want to be sure that we have good paying jobs," she says. "We need to be sure that we have good public schools that our children have what they need to make it in the world.”
Gillis opposed Senate Bill 5, the 2011 law that would have limited the collective bargaining abilities of unionized workers. Beagle voted for SB5 before it was overturned by Ohio voters.
The two candidates have locked horns on tax cuts for businesses in Ohio—Beagle supports them, while Gillis believes they’ve been done at the expense of the middle class. The two also disagree on issues like abortion, renewable energy standards, and state budget cuts.
State Senator Bill Beagle’s campaign did not responded to our request for an interview, but the senator has characterized his first term in office as a story of kept promises, focusing on job creation and fiscal responsibility.
Both campaigns have spent big money getting their messages out in the 5th district, which includes most of Dayton and western Montgomery County, Preble and Miami Counties and southern Darke County.
WYSO will carry live election coverage from NPR and the Ohio Statehouse News Bureau from 8pm to midnight Tuesday
