Ohio Education Association Endorses Ramos

June 14, 2010

Mr. Dan Ramos

1828 West 38th Street

Lorain, OH 44053

Dear Mr. Ramos:

Congratulations! This letter is to advise you of the decision of the Ohio Education Association Fund for Public Education (OEA-FCPE) to recommend your election to the Ohio House of Representatives in HD #56.

This decision was made by the OEA-FCPE Screening Committee after careful review of your written responses to our questionnaire. Your responses in the personal interview were also important for our evaluation process.

Please feel free to communicate the recommendation of the OEA-FCPE. We wish you a successful campaign and look forward to celebrating your victory in November.

Sincerely,

Debbie Bernauer, Chairperson

OEA-FCPE Screening Committee, HD #56

The rise of a mentor and his apprentice - Chronicle Telegram

Dan Ramos emerged as a political force in Lorain County on Tuesday. His mentor, Joe Koziura, reemerged.

In winning the Democratic nomination for Koziura’s seat in the state House, Ramos, 28, proved himself an apt student of politics and proved Koziura an effective teacher. Not long after Ramos, of Lorain, graduated from The Ohio State University with a degree in political science, he became an aide to Koziura in Columbus.

He went on to serve as an aide to House Speaker Armond Budish, D-Beachwood, and translated his experience in the Legislature and in others’ campaigns for the state House into victory Tuesday in a four-way race for the 56th District seat.

Koziura, 60, defeated five other candidates to win the Democratic nomination for county commissioner, proving himself a force outside the confines of his safefor- Democrats House district. He ran for commissioner in part because he had reached the limit on the number of terms he could serve in the House. His victory in the primary dispelled doubts that he could win any other office, doubts that grew out of his losses in 1999 and 2003 in races for mayor of Lorain.

Ramos and Koziura are an odd pair, to be sure.

“I learned a lot from Joe,” Ramos told us in April, “but we’re very different people.”

No kidding. Ramos, the son of a teacher at Lorain County Community College and former member of the Lorain school board, is reserved and academic in demeanor. Koziura, son of a steelworker, is blunt and profane.

Despite the differences in personality and age, both men benefited from living in Lorain, the county’s biggest and most Democratic community. The only candidate in the House race from outside Lorain, Richard Williams of New Russia Township, finished last. Koziura and the other commissioner candidate from Lorain, Bret Schuster, finished first and third. Vic Stewart III, the second-place finisher, is from Elyria.

Ramos and Koziura also share front-runner status as they head into the general election. Henry Lewandowski Jr. of Lorain is the Republican candidate for the House seat. He was unopposed in the primary.

Thomas Williams Jr. of Elyria defeated Maurice Corbin III of Columbia Station for the GOP nomination for commissioner. Independents Kirk Stewart of Elyria, Vic Stewart’s brother, and Mike Nunez of Penfield Township are also in the race.

If Koziura wins in November, the commissioner’s job likely will cap a long career in public office.

Ramos could hardly find a better example of political durability.

Dan Ramos wins 56th District primary - Chronicle Telegram

Dan Ramos wins 56th District primary

Ramos

LORAIN — Former legislative aide Dan Ramos defeated former Lorain County Board of Elections Director Jose Candelario and two other contenders in the Democratic primary to replace state Rep. Joe Koziura, D-Lorain, who term limits will force from office at the end of the year.

Ramos, a Lorain native who once worked for Koziura in Columbus, took 3,033 votes, or 34.7 percent of the vote, compared to the 2,812 ballots cast for Candelario, or 32.2 percent of the vote, according to unofficial election results from the elections board.

Maria Zampieri Vitale, a former child support investigator and union leader, finished third in the four-way race with 1,951 votes, or 22.3 percent of the vote.

Former New Russia Township Trustee Dick Williams took 10.8 percent of the vote, with 942 ballots cast for him.

“I’m very happy,” Ramos, 28, said. “We worked very hard and knocked on over 10,000 doors.”

Ramos will face Republican Henry Lewandowski Jr., who was unopposed in his party’s primary, in the November election.

“The plan’s basically the same,” Ramos said. “I’m going to keep talking to people.”

In addition to working for Koziura — who won the Democratic primary in the county commissioner race Tuesday — Ramos also served as a senior aide to Ohio House Speaker Armond Budish before leaving the job in December to run for office.

Candelario, 30, said he was disappointed by the results of the election, but he would support Ramos.

“Dan’s going to do a great job representing the district,” he said. “We’re going to hold him accountable, but also help him.”

Candelario, who spent four years at the helm of the elections board before leaving to run for office earlier this year, didn’t rule out a future run for office.

“If the opportunity to serve presents itself, I’ll be there,” he said.

Vitale, 60, said she had expected to see better results, but complimented Ramos on running a clean campaign.

“No one goes into this and quits their job at my age to run if they don’t think they’re going to win,” she said.

Dan Ramos claims Democratic primary for 56th District seat - Morning Journal

Click to enlarge

LORAIN — Dan Ramos, a former legislative aide to Joe Koziura, won the Democratic primary yesterday for the 56th Ohio House District over Jose Candelario, former head of the county elections board, according to unofficial results. The Lorain County Board of Elections results showed only 220 votes separate the two candidates as Ramos received 3,033 votes to 2,812 votes for Candelario.

The current representative, Koziura, D-Lorain, was prohibited by term limits from running in the primary.

Ramos, 28, who has also served as a senior policy analyst to House Speaker Armond Budish, said he was quite pleased with the victory.

“We knocked on more than 10,000 doors,” Ramos said. “My message has been one of more job creation, better access to higher education and trying to better our area. I look forward to continuing to spread that message throughout the rest of the election season.”

Ramos said the 56th district has an abundance of positive elements.

“We have incredible infrastructure, and a great population of workers,” he said. “We have to retool our factories and bring in new industries. Wind power and solar power have been expanding and bringing new jobs to Ohio. I think we’re especially suited to succeed in those kinds of industries.Candelario said he and his supporters have thrown all their support to Ramos.

“We ran a great campaign and the best candidate won,” Candelario said. He said his plans now are to spend more time with his family.

Plain Dealer Endorsement

The Plain Dealer endorses Dan Ramos in the Democratic primary for Ohio House District 56: editorial

By The Plain Dealer Editorial Board

April 29, 2010, 4:15AM

Dan RamosENDORSEMENT

District 56 covers western Lorain County. Early voting has begun in the May 4 Democratic primary.

THE CANDIDATES:

Jose A. Candelario, 30, former director of the Lorain County Board of Elections.

Dan Ramos, 28, former senior policy analyst for Ohio House Speaker Armond Budish.

Maria Zampieri Vitale, 60, former child-support investigator for Lorain County.

Richard S. Williams, 78, New Russia Township trustee.

OUR VIEW:

Term limits are forcing incumbent Democratic Rep. Joseph Koziura out, but his district is fortunate enough to have four bright, energetic Democrats vying to replace him. Ramos, who has worked in Columbus as a legislative aide since 2005, appears to be the most ready to hit the ground running.

Ramos describes his recent work experience as local advocacy on behalf of students at Lorain County Community College, residents with medical problems and entrepreneurs. He has more to learn, but his legislative experience gives him the edge over his equally likable and eager opponents.

Candelario, who weathered a storm at the Board of Elections last year, when a candidate's election filing went missing, clearly has a passion for Lorain County. Williams has extensive political experience at the township level. Vitale is a fierce believer in Lorain's revival, who wants to capitalize on Third Frontier funds and promote waterfront tourism.

Ramos' broad political experience makes him the most plausible candidate.

The winner of the Democratic primary will face Republican challenger Henry S. Lewandowski Jr. in November.

Morning Journal Endorsement

Tuesday, April 13, 2010

OPINION

OUR VIEW

Ramos best choice for Democrats on May 4 for 56th House District

Of the four candidates seeking the Democratic nomination for the open 56th Ohio House seat on May 4, 28-year-old Dan Ramos of Lorain has the most experience and knowledge dealing with the Ohio Legislature and the Statehouse.

Beginning in 2000, while attending The Ohio State University and serving as a page for then Minority Leader Chris Redfern, the 1999 Lorain Admiral King grad has learned the ropes in Columbus.

That expertise and youthful energy will be important to help Lorain and the other communities making up the 56th District compete for jobs.

Joseph Koziura, the current 56th District representative, who is stepping down this year due to term limits, had Ramos as his legislative aide from 2005 to 2007. Ramos then worked two years as a policy aide for House Minority Leader Joyce Beatty, D-Columbus. When Democrats captured the House in 2008, he became a senior policy analyst for House Speaker Armond Budish, D-Beachwood.

The three other Democrats in the race have experience in life and government service, but they can’t match Ramos’ knowledge and expertise at the state level.

Jose Candelario, 30, Lorain, is the former director of the Lorain County Board of Elections. Richard Williams, 78, is a former New Russia Township trustee and is a past president of the Ohio Township Association. Maria Zampieri Vitale, 60, is a former child support enforcement investigator with the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services.

The Democratic nominee will face Republican Henry Lewandowski Jr. of Lorain in the fall. Lewandowski is unopposed in the May primary.

The Democratic leaning 56th District includes Lorain, Sheffield Lake, Oberlin, South Amherst, Amherst Township, New Russia Township, Sheffield Township, along with portions of Elyria, Amherst, Elyria Township and Carlisle Township.

Ramos has the ability, intelligence and energy to hit the ground running to best serve Lorain County in Columbus next year. That’s why 56th District Democrats should choose Dan Ramos as their nominee in the May 4 primary election.

Chronicle-Telegram Endorsement

April 11, 2010

Four Democrats with lots of experience in govern ment are running to fill a seat in the state House of Representatives. The youngest one has the most perti nent experience.

Dan Ramos, 28, has spent more time in the Statehouse than any of his rivals.

From 2005 to 2007 he served as an aide to state Rep. Joe Koziura, D-Lorain, whose depar ture later this year because of term limits has sparked the four-way primary to replace him as representative from the 56th District.

In 2007 and 2008, Ramos served as a policy aide to House Minority Leader Joyce Beatty, D-Columbus, focusing on the state’s higher education budget.

In 2009 he served as one of four senior policy ana lysts in the office of House Speaker Armond Budish, D-Beachwood, with a concentration on higher educa tion funding and health care.

No one else in the race can match Ramos’ familiari ty with the issues the Legislature has debated in the past five years, its rules and mores, and its leaders.

Which is not to dismiss the experience of the other candidates: Jose Candelario, 30, former director of the Lorain County Board of Elections; Richard Williams, 78, former New Russia Township trustee; and Maria Zampieri Vitale, 60, former child support enforcement investigator with the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services.

They’ve all held important jobs, and they all have a higher profile in the county than Ramos, who has spent most of his time in Columbus since graduating from Admiral King High School in 1999, first at The Ohio State University, then at the Statehouse. He is the son of Raul Ramos, former member of the Lorain school board.

He has used the time in Columbus well, not only becoming familiar with the Legislature but developing a sophisticated understanding of the challenges the state and the county face and a sense of what’s politi cally practical. He is best positioned among the Democrats to guarantee that the district will continue have an experienced representative. We recommend that Democrats nominate him May 4.

The Democratic nominee will face Henry Lewandowski Jr. of Lorain in the fall. Lewandowski is unopposed in the Republican primary.

The 56th District includes Lorain, Elyria’s 5th and 6th wards, Oberlin, Sheffield Lake, South Amherst, Amherst Township, New Russia Township, Sheffield Township, most of Elyria Township, and some of Carlisle Township and Amherst.