United SHE Stands

In episode 198, Democratic candidate for Ohio Attorney General John Kulewicz joins us to explain what the AG actually does and make his case for why he should be the state’s next one.
John Kulewicz grew up in Columbus, Ohio. He learned the values of hard work and independent judgment from his parents and grandparents, who came from Martins Ferry and Cincinnati, and saw firsthand the importance of good jobs and union membership to the economy of Ohio. John has spent his law career challenging conventional wisdom and taking on uphill battles. As a 44-year member of the Columbus-based law firm Vorys, Sater, Seymour and Pease LLP, he successfully argued and won cases against the odds in the Supreme Court of the United States and courts throughout Ohio. He recently published a book, An Ohioan’s Odyssey: Lessons in Leadership, Law, and Public Service.
In politics, Kulewicz has consistently defied expectations, most recently in his own two campaigns for Upper Arlington City Council, where he was the leading vote-getter both times. In his re-election effort, he won more votes than any UA City Council candidate in a contested election since adoption of the city charter seven decades ago.
John earned his J.D. from Yale Law School, where he was an editor of the Yale Law Journal. He earned his B.A. in American history from The Ohio State University.
Outside of work, he is an accomplished long-distance swimmer and certified lifeguard. He lives with his wife Maryline in Upper Arlington where he has served on the City Council since 2020. He and Maryline are the proud parents of Adam and Abigail.
Resources:
* John’s Campaign Website
* Social Media
* Instagram
* Facebook
* X/Twitter
We’re bringing together digital creators from across the state to build a powerful digital organizing network called Ohio Creators for Progress. Support and donate to this effort below! ⬇️
Connect with United SHE Stands:
* Substack
* Instagram
* TikTok
* YouTube
* Threads
* Buy us a coffee ☕️
This episode was edited by Kevin Tanner. Learn more about him and his services here:
* Website
* Instagram


This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.unitedshestands.com/subscribe

In episode 197, we sit down with two candidates fighting for rural Ohio’s future: Katie Koehler Wagner, running for Ohio House District 80, and Colton Stidam, running for House District 76. Both are pushing back on a statehouse they say has left working families and small communities behind.
Katie Koehler Wagner is running for Ohio House District 80, which includes Troy, Piqua, and goes all the way west to the Indiana border. Katie is a 38-year-old mother, teacher, and lifelong advocate for doing what’s right. She and her husband are proud to raise their four children here, instilling in them the values of hard work and community service.
Katie never had political ambitions. But she’s watched life get harder for her neighbors, students, and family while politicians fail to deliver real solutions. After listening to people across Miami and Darke counties, she heard the same frustrations again and again: decisions made behind closed doors, and local voices ignored.
Staying on the sidelines felt like a betrayal of her values and her children’s future. So she turned to civic engagement, helping people understand how local and state decisions shape their lives — work that led to The Village, a Facebook community where neighbors share information, organize, and support each other.
Now she wants to bring that voice to Columbus with H.O.P.E.: affordable and accessible Healthcare, Opportunities to prosper, good Public schools, and affordable Energy for homes and businesses.
Katie Resources:
* Katie Wagner for Ohio
* Social Media
* Instagram
* TikTok
* Facebook
Colton Stidam is running for State Representative in Ohio’s 76th District, which includes parts of Richland county like Mansfield, Bellville, Shelby and the surrounding areas. Colton, 29, was born and raised in Shelby, Ohio, in a proud union family. Today, Colton works in IT for the Mansfield City School District alongside his wife, who is a science teacher in the district. They live in Mansfield.
A strong advocate for his community, Colton has spent years volunteering with local organizations that provide food, resources, and support to underserved residents. He has also spearheaded community cleanup projects, working hands on to make his community a better place for everyone.
Colton’s involvement in local politics began with the Shelby Area Democratic Club, where he became an active voice at community events and a well known presence at protests and demonstrations. He later joined the Richland County Young Democrats, where he was elected Vice President of Membership.
Colton is running on a simple belief: Ohio should work for everyone, not just those at the top. He believes in fully funding our public schools, protecting and strengthening workers’ right to organize through their unions, and making everyday life more affordable for working families across Ohio.
Colton Resources:
* Stidam for State
* Social Media
* Instagram
* TikTok
* Facebook
* Ohio House Bill 810
We’re bringing together digital creators from across the state to build a powerful digital organizing network called Ohio Creators for Progress. Support and donate to this effort below! ⬇️
Connect with United SHE Stands:
* Substack
* Instagram
* TikTok
* YouTube
* Threads
* Buy us a coffee ☕️
This episode was edited by Kevin Tanner. Learn more about him and his services here:
* Website
* Instagram


This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.unitedshestands.com/subscribe

In episode 196, we sit down with sociologist Arlie Russell Hochschild to explore the pride, shame, and empathy at the heart of her book, Stolen Pride: Loss, Shame, and the Rise of the Right. We talk about her seven years in Appalachia and what that experience reveals about America’s political divide ahead of a pivotal midterm election.
Hochschild is the author of many groundbreaking books, including The Second Shift, The Managed Heart, and The Time Bind as well as Strangers in Their Own Land, which became an instant bestseller and was a finalist for a National Book Award, and Stolen Pride: Loss, Shame, and the Rise of the Right (both from The New Press). She is professor emeritus of sociology at the University of California, Berkeley. She lives in Berkeley with her husband, the writer Adam Hochschild.
Resources:
* Buy Stolen Pride: Loss, Shame, and the Rise of the Right
* In Kentucky’s coal country, a community is working to heal political divisions - PBS News
* Other Books by Arlie Russell Hochschild
We’re bringing together digital creators from across the state to build a powerful digital organizing network called Ohio Creators for Progress. Support and donate to this effort below! ⬇️
Connect with United SHE Stands:
* Substack
* Instagram
* TikTok
* YouTube
* Threads
* Buy us a coffee ☕️
This episode was edited by Kevin Tanner. Learn more about him and his services here:
* Website
* Instagram


This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.unitedshestands.com/subscribe

In episode 195, we sit down with Judge Marilyn Zayas to unpack a race that’s important but often overlooked: the Ohio Supreme Court. She breaks down what’s really at stake on the state’s highest court, and why she’s stepping up to run for it.
Judge Marilyn Zayas is a highly respected Ohio judge. For nearly ten years she has served at Ohio’s Court of Appeals, a court that is directly below the Supreme Court of Ohio. This year she is running for the Ohio Supreme Court. Raised in a tough neighborhood plagued by drugs and crime by parents who migrated from Puerto Rico, she learned the value of hard work, integrity, and service from an early age.
Judge Zayas has decided thousands of cases across Ohio. She faithfully determines cases on the Constitution, the law and independent of political influence. Last year, she was selected by the Chief Justice to replace a recused justice at our Ohio Supreme Court, three times in a 40-day window, an unprecedented honor.
As the first Latina elected to any Ohio Court of Appeals, she embraces the responsibility of serving as a role model and mentor to others. Since 2017 she has hosted over 2,000 students at her Educating Tomorrow’s Leaders Program, teaching students about Ohio’s courts and inspiring them to dream big. Her judicial excellence and community contributions have earned national recognition.
Resources:
* Judge Zayas’ Campaign Website
* Social Media:
* Instagram
* Facebook
We’re bringing together digital creators from across the state to build a powerful digital organizing network called Ohio Creators for Progress. Support and donate to this effort below! ⬇️
Connect with United SHE Stands:
* Substack
* Instagram
* TikTok
* YouTube
* Threads
* Buy us a coffee ☕️
This episode was edited by Kevin Tanner. Learn more about him and his services here:
* Website
* Instagram


This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.unitedshestands.com/subscribe

In episode 194, we sit down with Scott Charland and Laura Sirot, two Democrats challenging red Ohio Senate districts, to talk about the issues driving their campaigns and what success looks like to them.
Scott Charland is running for Ohio Senate District 19 which includes Delaware, Coshocton, Holmes, and Knox Counties. Scott received his bachelor’s degree from Florida State University and his master’s degree in Education from the University of Alabama- Birmingham. Scott is a former national and state champion powerlifter and has been a strength and conditioning coach for over 25 years. He currently works in health care as a Manager of Human Performance.
Scott is running to make Ohio’s public schools stronger, to implement stronger protection of Ohio’s natural resources, and to enact strong working class economic policies. Scott believes that politicians have lost sight of who they should really be serving, the working class and underrepresented, and have instead focused almost entirely on helping the wealthy and large corporations.
Scott is active in the community and serves on the Orange Township Parks Advisory Committee and is an active volunteer for the Ohio Nature Conservancy, Columbus and Franklin County Metro Parks, Friends of the Lower Olentangy (FLOW) and the American Red Cross.
Scott and his wife Tonya have been married 25 years and have a son who attends Ohio State University and a daughter in the Olentangy School District.
Scott’s Resources:
* Campaign Website
* Social Media:
* Instagram
* Facebook
Laura Sirot is running for State Senate in District 31 which includes Wooster, New Philadelphia and Zanesville, and parts of Massillon and Cambridge. She lives in Wooster, Ohio with her husband, Pete, and their two sons. She is a professor of Biology at The College of Wooster and has worked and lived in Wooster for the past 16 years. Her research mainly relates to understanding the reproductive biology of insect vectors of human pathogens and agricultural pests.
Laura is very involved in her local community in the areas of children and family services, sustainability, animal rescue, and science communication. She is co-founder and co-coordinator of the Wooster Science Café (now in its 14th year) which is a monthly forum for discussing science-related issues of public interest. She has been a foster parent for Wayne County Children Services and adopted a child through foster care. She continues to serve Wayne County Children Services as a Board member and through mentoring families and children. She has created programs for local animal rescue agencies, such as the K9 coach program where she trains students to work with recent adopters of dogs on common behavioral issues to decrease the number of returned dogs. She is very passionate about making Ohio and the world a safer place for current and future generations.
Laura’s Resources:
* Campaign Website
* Social Media:
* Instagram
* Facebook
We’re bringing together digital creators from across the state to build a powerful digital organizing network called Ohio Creators for Progress. Support and donate to this effort below! ⬇️
Connect with United SHE Stands:
* Substack
* Instagram
* TikTok
* YouTube
* Threads
* Buy us a coffee ☕️
This episode was edited by Kevin Tanner. Learn more about him and his services here:
* Website
* Instagram


This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.unitedshestands.com/subscribe