Nominate Republican Joyce for 14th US House District
These are not the best of times for the Grand Old Party in America. Polls give the Republican political brand unfavorable ratings reaching as high as 70 percent. In our region, the Republican primary race for the 14th District seat in the U.S. House of Representatives stands out as a microcosm of the damaging disunity that has marred the party’s image and stalled progress on significant public policy issues in our nation.
In the May 6 Republican primary race, incumbent U.S. Rep. David Joyce, 57, of Russell Township, is is being challenged by state Rep. Matt Lynch of Bainbridge. Joyce generally is viewed as a more moderate conservative, often aligning himself with House Speaker John Boehner and with his mentor and moderate GOP predecessor in the House, Steven LaTourette. State Rep. Matt Lynch, in contrast, is generally aligned with the extreme right wing of the party with enthusiastic support from tea-party groups and the ultraconservative Freedom Works.
We believe Republican constituents in the district would best be served by again nominating Joyce as their party’s standard-bearer in the November general election.
Unlike Lynch, Joyce has a congressional record on which to run. Although The Vindicator disagrees with some elements of his legislative agenda — most notably his desire to repeal the Affordable Care Act — Joyce has proven himself to be an active and results-focused representative for the constituents of his district, which includes 11 northern townships in Trumbull County, all of Ashtabula, Lake and Geauga counties and portions of Cuyahoga, Portage and Summit counties.
BIPARTISAN LEGISLATOR
Joyce also has demonstrated his willingness to work amicably across party lines. For example, he is a co-sponsor with U.S. Rep. Patrick Murphy, a Florida Democrat, on the Savings, Accountability, Value, and Efficiency Act, which would cut $200 billion in government spending over 10 years by eliminating waste and duplication. Among its dozens of provisions, SAVE proposes such common-sense measures as consolidating the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s two catfish-inspection programs into one agency and mandating that lights be turned off at unused vacant federal buildings.
In addition, Joyce has voted to hold the IRS responsible for its abuses of power and has been a staunch advocate for much-needed infrastructure improvements across the U.S.
The Vindicator editorial board is particularly impressed with his passionate goal to protect Lake Erie and the other Great Lakes from the potential cataclysmic dangers of Asian carp and other invasive underwater species.
In short, Joyce clearly has demonstrated his ability to maintain his conservative brand while working cooperatively with other Democrats and Republicans to get work done. Lynch clearly has not.
Despite Lynch’s and Joyce’s assertions that the 14th District is solidly conservative, national Democratic organizations that have targeted the 14th this year think otherwise. Results from the 2012 election lend credence to that claim because Joyce gained barely a majority — 54 percent — of the popular vote.
The winner of the Republican primary therefore will no doubt face a tough campaign against Democrat Michael Wager and Libertarian David Macko in the November general election. As such, Joyce clearly represents the Republicans’ best option to preserve their party’s seat for Ohio’s 14th Congressional District.