My name is Mark Smith, and I am an Independent candidate for the Ohio House of Representatives. As an Independent candidate, my loyalty and focus are with the people first, not any political party affiliation or policies.

As a conservative, I believe in limited government. Limited in how invasive and how costly it is to the public. Government works best from the bottom up, with local government having more voice and control. My goal as your representative is to move away from big centralized government. When government is large enough to give us whatever we want, it is also big enough to take away whatever we have. I oppose abortion and gun ownership restrictions and regulations. Some of my other goals that I will work in conjunction with local government and business leaders are:

• Lower Taxes
• Reduced spending
• Penalize employers that hire illegal aliens
• Make English the official language
• Eliminate unemployment and other state payments to drug abusers
• Attract new business to the district
• Address school funding issues while maintaining local control

My background includes valuable experiences which have prepared me to successfully fulfill the duties of a state representative. Some of these experiences are listed below.

Education:

• Associate of Science, Purdue University
• Bachelor of Science, Purdue University

Agriculture:

• Former farmer
• Former 4-H leader
• FFA American Farmer Degree

Military/Leadership:

• Naval Officer/ Naval Aviator - Led a 12 man crew conducting counter narcotics operations, combat missions over Former Republic of Yugoslavia, patrol missions against Soviet submarines, counter intelligence and surveillance missions during the Gulf War.
• As a division officer, led 270 maintenance personnel and officers.

Current:

• Married for 24 years to Liz (Miller) Smith, 3 children
• 777 International Airline pilot
• Resident of Marion and Crawford Counties for 11 years

Being able to communicate our concerns with our representatives is important, so I will make myself available within the district to discuss any concerns.

For more information call me at 419-617-8115 or email info@electmarksmith.com.