John,

You and I haven’t met yet, but my name is Jerrad Christian and I am the Democrat running to unseat Congressman Troy Balderson (R-OH) in Ohio’s 12th Congressional district - the Columbus suburbs and Appalachian portion of central Ohio.

You probably aren’t too familiar with Ohio’s 12th district but here’s why this race matters. This past Tuesday, Ohio voters came out in full force and demolished the Ohio GOP nixing their plans to implement a totalitarian abortion ban passed by our republican state legislature.

In a state that voted for Mike DeWine and J.D. Vance just a few months after the Dobbs decision struck down federal abortion rights, this is a big deal—and it shows just how much things are changing here in battleground Ohio.

Tuesday’s vote showed that if we keep up the same momentum, engage with rural voters along with our urban coalition, we could flip districts like mine that lack real leadership and representation. To take back the House in 2024 we will need to flip districts like mine and I know our campaign can do it—here’s why:

Like many people in OH-12, I grew up in extreme poverty in the Appalachian region of Ohio - the kind of poverty that left me and my family uncertain about whether we'd have enough to eat the next day.

After graduating high school, I made the decision to join the US Navy where I served as a flight deck fueler on an aircraft carrier during the global war on terror. After successfully surviving the hazards of the flight deck, I transitioned to the role of meteorologist where I learned about the inner workings of the earth’s climate and developed a lifelong passion for protecting the environment.

(Left) A younger me in my Navy dress uniform. (Right) Me below deck in my re-fueler uniform. We wore purple uniforms to signify our role as re-fuelers.

Today, I am a father, a small business owner (my brother and I run a BBQ food truck) and I also work as a software engineer.

My stint in the US Navy as a meteorologist gave me profound insight into climate and its workings, my experiences with poverty taught me the value of hard work and never taking money for granted, and my roots in rural Ohio instilled in me the belief that when good people come together, there's no challenge we can't overcome.

The people who I am fighting for.

A Republican for most of my life, after Trump came to power and I saw what his rhetoric of hate and division was doing to our country. I changed my voter registration and voted Democrat for the first time in my life, and I will never go back to the party that has supported him even after the violent January 6th insurrection that he encouraged and fomented with his ridiculous lies about the 2020 election.

My opponent, right-wing extremist Congressman Troy Balderson (R-OH), is among those who spread Trump’s message of hate in the halls of Congress, and he was one of ultra MAGA Congressman Jim Jordan’s key backers during his run for House Speaker earlier this fall - he voted to elect him a whopping THREE TIMES. Here’s a few more of his lowlights:

Before serving in Congress, Balderson ran a used car dealership that defrauded thousands of blue collar Ohioans

He voted against the bipartisan infrastructure bill, then touted it as a victory in his district when it passed

Failed to hold President Trump accountable for the Jan. 6 insurrection on our Capitol building

As a father, Navy Vet, and entrepreneur, I know that Balderson is the worst kind of leader for rural Ohio and I am committed to bringing back real leadership to OH-12.

Thankfully, Balderson is more vulnerable than ever; and Tuesday's vote shows that regular Ohioans are ready to take our country back from right-wing extremism. When discussing my district, the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC), states “With this ever-changing district and an out of touch incumbent, voters are ready to flip OH-12.”

We can flip this seat and help Democrats take back the House, but only with strong support from donors across the country who are eager to help turn Ohio blue. Can you contribute $25 or more to help me and my team do the work to bring home a victory on Election Day next year?

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