Incumbent Troy Balderson (Republican) faces challenger Jerrad Christian (Democrat) for the 12th District seat in the U.S. House of Representatives.

The 12th Congressional District consists of a portion of Delaware County, as well as Athens, Coshocton, Fairfield, Guernsey, Knox, Licking, Morgan, Muskingum and Perry counties, plus portions of Holmes and Tuscarawas counties. Here’s a look at the candidates in alphabetical order.

Troy Balderson

Balderson, of Zanesville, was sworn into the United States House of Representatives on Sept. 5, 2018. He is a member of the House Energy and Commerce Committee.

“America needs a tune-up” is one of the things Balderson likes to say. Among the issues Balderson is concerned about are: Caring for people, honoring our veterans, protecting our families, saving our jobs, securing our border, standing up to China and unleashing American energy.

“When people come to me in frustration, I have never found the cause of their pain to be a lack of government bureaucracy,” Balderson is quoted as saying on his campaign site. “The answer is usually to get government out of the way. Our government is too big and causes too many problems.”

According to his congressional website, Balderson’s recent legislation includes: A bill to upgrade internet connection; separate resolutions to repeal the Environmental Protection Agency’s Clean Power Plan and to congratulate the American Motorcyclist Association.

For more information, visit Troy Balderson for Congress (Facebook), repbalderson (Instagram), balderson.house.gov or www.baldersonforcongress.com (website).

Jerrad Christian

Christian, of Galena, is described on his website as “a Navy veteran with a diverse background in meteorology and software engineering… He’s running to bring integrity, unity, and progress to Ohio’s 12th District, driven by a vision for a sustainable and equitable future for all.”

He served as a flight deck fueler on an aircraft carrier during Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom, as well as a meteorologist and oceanographer.

Issues that are important to Christian include the agriculture, economy, education, energy and freedom in what he calls “a largely rural district that is sorely lacking an advocate.” He said the problems are climate change, misinformation/cyber-attacks and profit over people.

“A Republican by default for most of my life, after (former President Donald) Trump came to power and I saw what his rhetoric of hate and divisiveness was doing to our country I decided it was time to be a part of something that more accurately reflected my ideals and am running as a Democrat,” Christian wrote on his website.

For more information, visit Jerrad Christian for US Congress – Ohio District 12 (Facebook), jerrad.christian (Instagram), www.christianforohio.com (website) and Jerrad Christian for US Congress (YouTube).

Assistant Editor Gary Budzak covers the eastern half of Delaware County and surrounding areas. He can be reached at 740-413-0906.