Derrick Hall's Campaign Demonstrates Ability, Commitment to Understand and Work for His District
The state House seat (Ohio House District 34) that will represent Stow is up for grabs on Tuesday and features candidates from Akron and Tallmadge.
This re-drawn district previously was held by Casey Weinstein, who decided to run for the re-drawn OH Senate District 28 seat, and now includes Stow, Hudson, Tallmadge, Munroe Falls, Silver Lake and North Akron and Northeast Akron.
The two candidates are Derrick Hall of Akron and Adam Bozic of Tallmadge, both of whom have elected office experience. Below is information about each of the candidates, as well as our endorsement in this race.
Derrick Hall
Hall, 48, previously served on the Akron School Board, including as its president. He also is the assistant vice president of accountable care and payment innovation for Integra Connect, a healthcare consultant, and serves as an international law officer in the U.S. Army Reserve, part of the Army Judge Advocate General’s Corps, or JAG Corps.
Education
Bachelor of Science in Chemistry, University of Akron
Juris Doctor/MBA, The Ohio State University
Doctor of Pharmacy, The Ohio State University
Master’s in Clinical Service Operations, Harvard Medical School
Certificate in Education Finance, Georgetown University
Legislative Priorities
Protecting women’s reproductive rights, which he called a civil rights, economic and healthcare issue for women;
Fixing public education by finally addressing the unconstitutional reliance on property taxes for public schools; letting teachers teach by limiting mandated testing; reign in private school vouchers for wealthy residents while enabling lower and middle class families the ability to have school options; hold all schools that receive tax dollars to the same performance standards;
Address the affordable housing crisis through public-private partnerships to increase housing options;
Address gender, race and geographic inequities in health care; improve access to healthcare and mental health services by having the state increase its reimbursements to doctors and hospitals for patients on Medicare and Medicaid, which will encourage more doctors to treat patients in these programs.
At the Stow Candidates’ Night, Hall explained that the reason he was running for the state representative position was because he felt that it’s important that some of our representatives be people who have lived in poverty and known the hardships of the most vulnerable populations.
Hall said he was raised by a single mother living in government housing, who relied on public assistance until she earned a college degree and became a special education teacher when Hall was 13 years old. Hall credited his mother for instilling in her children the importance of gaining an education to ensure their future opportunities.
He cited the Akron Public Schools’ college and career academies as an important achievement during his time on the Akron School Board; that the program was providing thousands of students the education and training to continue their education after high school or begin careers in well-paying industries, while also helping businesses in the area find skilled employees.
Hall also said he believes in working across the aisle to tackle the state’s issues.
Endorsements
Halls campaign is endorsed by 24 unions and business organizations, including:
Ohio Education Association
Akron Education Association
AFL-CIO
Ohio Nurses Association
International Brotherhood of Teamsters
Ohio State Medical Association
Ohio Chamber of Commerce Political Action Committee
ACT Ohio Affiliated Construction Trades
Ohio Association of Professional Firefighters
Ohio Laborers’ District Council
Ohio State Building & Construction Trades Council
Ohio CPA PAC (accountants)
NFIB (National Federation of Independent Business)
Hall also has been endorsed by 33 elected officials, including U.S. Senator Sherrod Brown; Congresswoman Emilia Sykes; outgoing OH HD 34 State Rep. Casey Weinstein; Stow Mayor John Pribonic; Stow City Council President Cyle Feldman; Munroe Falls City Councilmembers Ross Widenor and Dina Edwards; Tallmadge Mayor Carol Siciliano-Kilway; Tallmadge Councilmembers Mary Gutman and Jessica Epstein; Hudson City Councilmembers Nicole Kowalski and Dr. Patricia Goetz; Silver Lake councilmember Matthew Plesich and others. See full list.
Website: https://derrickhallforohio.com/
Adam Bozic
Prior to beginning his political career in 2022 on Tallmadge City Council as its President, Bozic, 41, worked in the trades and in the city’s Parks & Rec department as assistant parks superintendent. He also previously served in the U.S. Marine Corps for five years, primarily servicing aircraft during that time. He now is the CEO of a father-son floor installation company, Classic Shine Flooring Specialists.
Education
Bachelor of Arts, University of Akron
Master of Arts, University of Akron
Legislative Priorities
Bozic has not identified any policy positions on his website; however, at the Stow Candidates’ Night, Bozic identified the following issues he’d like to address if elected:
Workforce training and helping the aging population of small business owners, many of whom lack succession plans;
Support of local police and fire departments and improved public safety;
Expanding opportunities for small business owners, providing resources and tax breaks.
Endorsements
Bozic cites the following endorsements on his website:
State Rep. Jack Daniels
Tallmadge City Councilman Nick Rubino
Hudson City Councilman Chris Banweg
Fraternal Order of Police Lodge 111
Ohio Advocates for Medical Freedom
Summit County Republican Party
Website: https://bozicforoffice.com/
Our Endorsement for Ohio HD 34: Derrick Hall
It’s easy for a candidate to trot out common or popular issues that their voters expect to hear about. But, Derrick Hall demonstrates deep understanding of the issues and policy prescriptions for which he advocates.
Additionally, he’s done the work of getting to know the communities he’d be representing, meeting with elected officials in each of the communities in the district, with plans to create an HD 34 Advisory Council of elected leaders and citizens who will provide him ongoing input on the issues of most importance to our district.
Endorsements are an important part of a campaign – they demonstrate the willingness to do the work of getting to know the communities and constituencies they’ll represent; taking the time to sit down with organizations and elected officials to discuss their needs; and explaining their own policy positions on topics important to those groups. Hall has earned a significant number of endorsements from various unions and business organizations, including some that typically endorse Republican candidates, like the Ohio Chamber of Commerce, Ohio CPA PAC (accountants), the National Federation of Independent Business (small business association) and the Ohio Farm Bureau.
Hall has talked about working across the aisle to get things done and of being pragmatic, even if it means all of his or your priorities won’t be addressed in exactly the way he’d want. Earning endorsements from groups on both sides of the political spectrum demonstrates his ability and commitment to work for all.
Hall’s education, professional background and experience provide confidence that he will be able to tackle the complex issues that face our state and negotiate solutions that will have a positive impact for residents in Stow, Hudson, Tallmadge, Munroe Falls, Silver Lake, North Akron and Northeast Akron.
For these reasons, we recommend a vote for Derrick Hall.
