This episode is the first in our new season of Building Local Power, The New Class, where we are talking to interesting changemakers among the state and local politicians newly elected in November 2024. Our first guest is Tristan Rader, representing District 13 in Ohio's House of Representatives. District 13, which is host Danny Caine's district, covers the near-West Side of Cleveland as well as the inner-ring suburb of Lakewood. Rader's experiences range from working with the Cleveland Food Bank to Bernie Sanders' 2016 campaign to Lakewood City Council.

On this episode, Rader weighs in on what makes Cleveland great and why organized labor is a vital part of that history. We also talk about local energy, taxation, and how exactly large corporations took such control of Ohio's economic policy. A through-line of the discussion is how Ohio's Republican supermajority shapes state politics and how Rader hopes to successfully fight for change in the district he represents.

For the full transcript and related resources, visit the episode page:

https://ilsr.org/articles/blp-staying-local-at-the-statehouse