Cliff Biggers announces his intention to run for District 72 representative
Cliff Biggers announced his intention to run for the Republican Primary Candidate seat for District 72 for the Ohio House of Representatives on Thursday, Nov. 19 at Civic Hall. This seat encompasses Coshocton, Perry, and the eastern portion of Licking Counties.
COSHOCTON – Cliff Biggers announced on Thursday evening, Nov. 19 at the Civic Hall in Coshocton his intention to run for the Republican Primary Candidate seat for District 72 for the Ohio House of Representatives in the March 2016 primary election followed by the general election in November of that year. This seat encompasses Coshocton, Perry, and the eastern portion of Licking Counties.
“Cliff is a valuable asset to the community wherever he has lived and worked,” said Glenn Mishler, councilman at large who introduced Biggers. “He will be a valuable asset to the seat in Columbus if elected.”
Bill Hayes, Republican who currently holds the seat and is not seeking re-election, personally asked Biggers to consider running. Biggers said his decision to run came after much prayer and discussion with his family.
“Coshocton, Perry, and Licking Counties, we are not competitors. We are companions,” said Biggers. “I hope to draw a coalition together among the three counties and focus on each other’s talents.”
One issue Biggers believes is facing the 72nd district is the lack of jobs, not only in the district, but throughout the state. Although he said unemployment is decreasing significantly, there is still a need of more available jobs throughout Ohio.
“We can do a better job in Coshocton, Licking, and Perry,” he said. “How can we do better? By forming partnerships. We need to make partnerships a priority and have the best interest of each other in mind. It’s not about us as an individual. It’s about us as a team.”
Biggers believes he can use his previous experience to bring people together as a community. He is a retired detective with the Major Crimes Unit of the Newark Police Department after serving more than 25 years. He also serves as pastor of Shiloh Missionary Baptist Church in Coshocton, and is also founder and director of Race Relations Research, Inc. He has also served as president of Coshocton City Council for the last three years.
“I would like to use my abilities as a police officer in bringing people together,” he said. “Also as a pastor, I see people who have needs. We all have needs. What makes a community is not that we live next to each other. It’s because we share our resources, our time and talent. This county was recently hit with devastating news about one of our plants closing. I hope to bring some hope as well as help to that situation.”
Biggers also believes a major issue in the district is drug abuse.
“I don’t think it’s a drug problem. I think it’s a heart problem,” he said. “Why are people taking these drugs and getting addicted to drugs? Because something is missing in their heart and they’re trying to fill it with drugs. Incarcerating them isn’t going to solve the problem. Locking them up isn’t going to do it. What’s going to do it? Lifting them up and making them believe in themselves.”
He stated that five Ohioans die every day of a drug overdose and that the issue is much more than a problem. It’s an epidemic.
Biggers also believes that health care is an issue that needs addressed. He wants to return to an individual having the right to choose their own physician and lowering the cost of health care.
“We need to cut the cost of health care and we need to get health care back down to where it should be,” he said.
Infrastructure was another issue Biggers stated during his speech on Thursday.
“How can we get people to come here when we don’t have facilities for them to start their own business?” he said.
Most importantly, Biggers stressed the idea of the three counties working as community instead of competitors.
“How can we reach across the aisle not only in politics but with the community where we can do better with each other instead of competing with each other,” he said. “If we can share each other with our time, talent, and treasures, we can do things we’ve never done, see places we’ve never been, and see things done we never believed could be done.”
He also stated that if elected, he will represent the people’s interests once in power.
“I’m not going there to represent my interests,” he said. “I’m going there to represent the people.”
Biggers stated that in order to see change, more people need to get involved in their communities.
“It’s easy to sit back and complain,” he said. “But we have to get our hands dirty and get involved in the process. It’s more productive to come to the table with something than to come and receive something. Only when we do this will we see things begin to change.”
Biggers hopes to bring optimism to the district as well as bring people of all cultures and backgrounds together.
“There is only one race, and that is the human race,” he said. “We may have many cultures and colors, but we are all human. I think we get that in our minds, but when it comes to society, we haven’t gotten it yet. We still see black, white, red, and yellow. Race is what we are, not who we are.”
Biggers resides in Coshocton with his wife of 37 years, Jennifer.
beth@coshoctoncountybeacon.com
Category: Government
