Former U.S. Rep. Dennis Kucinich visits with Medina County residents before filing for candidacy

MEDINA — With only a few days left to file for candidacy, former U.S. Rep. Dennis Kucinich met with Medina County residents Wednesday to talk about what they can expect out of him if he is elected for Ohio's 7th Congressional District. In late January, Kucinich announced that he is running as an independent candidate for the 7th District. At that time, Kucinich said that by running as an independent, he would uniquely be able to reach in and help heal the partisan divide, bring people together and reestablish the country's sense of unity. "What I'm doing, running as an independent, is to be in a position in a mostly divided House and to be the unifying factor," Kucinich said. "To be that one person who can find a way to bring people together on those issues that mean something to everyday Americans." Having previously served as a member of the U.S. House from 1997 through 2013, Kucinich is familiar with the district. Kucinich said that during that time, he represented about 45 percent of the present district. The 7th District includes portions of Cuyahoga and Holmes counties and all of Medina and Wayne counties. "Medina is a very important part of this new district," Kucinich said. "I am going to have a very dynamic campaign in Medina." Kucinich noted that his campaign photos were taken in Medina's square, which he did to emphasize the county's importance in his campaign. "Yes, I'm from Cuyahoga County. That is true," he said. "But I put Medina in all my pictures, so Medina understands how important Medina is to me and how I see it as being central to this district." In addition to serving as a member of the House, Kucinich, 77, served as the mayor of Cleveland. Kucinich has previously run for president and Ohio governor. In 2021, he ran in the nonpartisan primary for mayor of Cleveland and lost. Most recently, Kucinich served as the campaign manager for Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s presidential campaign through October. To be considered an independent candidate, Kucinich must file his petitions by Monday afternoon. He said he needs to have 3,057 valid signatures, but he and his campaign are working toward more than 5,000 signatures. Once the filing is completed, Kucinich will run in the general election against incumbent Rep. Max Miller, R-Rocky River, who just completed his first year as a congressman and is unopposed in the Republican primary. In addition, Doug Bugie and Matt Diemer are seeking the Democratic nomination for the 7th District in Tuesday's primary. Kucinich said the filing is the start of his official campaign and from there, his campaign team will make plans and move forward over the next several months. "People will see me in Medina," he said. To learn more, visit www.kucinich.com. Contact reporter Sara Crawford at (330) 721-4063 or scrawford@medina-gazette.com.