Galena Navy veteran Jerrad Christian won the Democratic nomination for Ohio's 12th Congressional District and will face the Nov. 3 general election.
He faces Republican Rep. Troy Balderson in a rematch of 2024
Christian, 42, took nearly 47% of approximately 32,000 votes cast in the May 5 primary, defeating Daniel Crawford and Jason Reynard, the Columbus Dispatch reported. He previously ran for the seat in 2024 and lost to incumbent Republican Troy Balderson.
Asked why he is running, Christian said in a questionnaire response to Surround Sound News: "I'm running because our government is broken. It is supposed to be a government of the people, by the people, and for the people, but too often our congress serves wealthy donors, powerful corporations, and political interests instead of the people who sent them there."
Candidate information
- Party: Democratic
- Age: 42
- Residence: Galena, Ohio
- Family: Wife Jessica and son Sean
- Education: Ohio University; tech school
- Previous elected office: None
Experience and public service
Christian served in the U.S. Navy from 2002 to 2007. He worked as a flight deck fueler on an aircraft carrier before becoming a meteorologist and oceanographer, serving during Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom.
After leaving the military, Christian said he struggled to find his footing and took a job as a factory janitor while raising his family before working as an outdoor education teacher at a nonprofit and eventually moving into the technology sector. His software engineering roles included positions at ScriptDrop, Clarus R+D and TEKsystems. He also owned Sparks Barbecue and a company called Cerberus Association Ltd.
Christian grew up in poverty in Appalachian Ohio. He said his mother was uncertain whether the family would have enough to eat the next day.
On the issues
Christian provided his positions on five key topics in his questionnaire responses.
Campaign finance and government reform: Christian called this his top priority. He said he would support legislation to overturn the Citizens United decision and establish limits on corporate and wealthy-donor influence in elections. He also supports stronger lobbying restrictions and public financing of elections.
Healthcare: Christian supports Medicare for All. He said no one should have to choose between seeing a doctor and paying rent, and that getting sick should never mean going bankrupt. He supports allowing Medicare to negotiate prescription drug prices.
Cost of living and the economy: Christian said he would focus on lowering costs for housing, healthcare, energy, food and transportation. He supports raising the minimum wage, strengthening unions and breaking up monopolies. He said a full-time job should be enough to live a decent life.
National security: Christian said he supports ending the war with Iran and bringing troops home while maintaining the ability to defend Americans and allies. He said Congress must reclaim its constitutional authority over decisions to send Americans into war. He cited the Congressional Budget Office's estimate of over $38 billion in costs for the Iran conflict.
Housing: Christian said ending the housing crisis starts with building more homes. He supports reforming exclusionary zoning to allow duplexes and small multifamily units, incentivizing first-time homeownership and cracking down on large institutional buyers.
Christian has been endorsed by the Delaware County Democrats, the AFL-CIO and Vote Common Good.
