Election season in the United States has gotten a new jolt of energy at the presidential level, but the races at the state levels are no less important, as these representatives make decisions that affect the everyday lives of their constituents. Today we are profiling Dani Isaacsohn (he/him), son of South African and Israeli immigrants and a state representative in Ohio running for re-election. A proponent of what he calls “supply-side progressivism”, he advocates investing in the “supply” that brings America prosperity: education, childcare, and affordable housing. Dani, a millennial small business owner, is passionate about restructuring the American economy away from corporate power and more towards workers and consumers; he cites Federal Trade Commission chair Lina M. Khan and U.S. Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) as role models. Dani serves as the Minority Whip in the Ohio House.

In his personal life, Dani says, “I love to cook! During my first campaign, I offered to bring homemade lasagna to everyone who hosted a house party for me to introduce myself to their neighbors and talk about the campaign. I might have overcommitted, because homemade lasagna takes forever to make, but it was a lot of fun. Now I offer banana pudding though - much easier.”

© Dani Isaacsohn for State Representative

Where are you based?
Cincinnati, OH.

What is your position/what position are you running for?
State Representative, District 24. I also serve as the Democratic Whip.

How would you briefly summarize your platform?
How we treat the youngest and oldest among us is the deepest reflection of our society. That means that every kid deserves a world-class education and something fun, safe, and productive to do outside of school. It means that seniors should be able to age with dignity. And it means that parents should have access to quality, affordable childcare and housing for their families.

What inspired you to run?
My parents immigrated to this country so that my siblings and I could have a better life, and they raised us to believe that to earn the incredible good fortune of being born in the United States we needed to find ways to be of service to the people around us. When I started working as an organizer on the Obama campaign, I realized that my form of service could be bringing people together to fight for a better future. That's why I started Cohear, a community engagement firm based on the idea that the people who live the issues - the Everyday Experts - deserve a seat at the table making policy decisions. After six years and over 350 evenings spent listening to and learning from the everyday experts, it became clear to me that state laws were holding our communities back, so I decided to run for the Statehouse.

What change are you hoping to bring to your district and country?
On so many of the issues that are the most important to the lives of the people I represent — childcare, housing, education, healthcare — there are countless possible improvements and solutions that transcend politics and partisanship. So I am hoping to help bridge the gaps between rural and urban communities, especially between Appalachia in SE Ohio and Cincinnati in SW Ohio, and demonstrate that when kids and families and seniors have what they need in one corner of the state, that means they will in other corners of the state as well. Once we learn that our challenges are shared, I believe we can find paths to pursue the solutions that will make a long-term change to the politics of division that only benefits a small sliver of the country.

How long have you been in office?
19 months.

What do you consider to be your major accomplishments so far?
We came to a major compromise on public education in this session's budget, and I helped negotiate one of the largest increases in public school funding in recent history. We were also able to secure historic increases in funding for home healthcare workers who are doing heroic work for too little pay. I have also been able to introduce bipartisan legislation to increase our housing supply, help seniors stay in their homes, and solve some of our most challenges issues in public education.

What do you feel are the most important issues right now, why, and how do you plan to tackle them?
We need to shift our priorities towards education, healthcare, housing, and childcare. Housing and childcare are the two largest costs for Ohio families, and are the two systems we need to be the most aggressive about improving. Additionally, we can only thrive as a state when our kids are getting the education they deserve, and we are woefully far away from that goal. I think we need universal, high quality public education from ages 3-22. We know that a huge amount of brain development happens before the age of 6, and we know that most people need some form of continuing education — college, trades etc. — after high school. So there is no better investment the government can make in the future than in making sure every young person has access to free, high quality education at every step of the way.

America is extremely divided these days. How would you hope to bridge that divide with your constituents to better unite Americans?
We need to do more to convey that shared challenges mean shared opportunities. If there is intergenerational poverty holding schools back in Appalachian communities as much as in our urban core, then we can pursue shared solutions. In a similar vein, if it takes someone 90 minutes to get to an urgent care clinic from a rural community or 90 minutes on three buses in Cincinnati, your access issues are shared even if they look different.

How do you see your unique identity and background to be an asset to you in office?
I am an organizer at heart, and believe that when people come together and truly listen to and learn from one another, we are unstoppable. That is the perspective I bring as the child of immigrants who raised me to love this country and the values that make it special, and someone who has spent so much time organizing and listening to people from different walks of life. There is wisdom and creativity in experience, and if we can tap into that we can build a better politics.

What is your motto in life?
We only get one shot at this life (probably), so we may as well spend it being as kind as possible, doing as much good as possible, and seeking out as much joy as possible. I'm also a big fan of the serenity prayer.

Where can we find out more about you?
Follow me on IG! @DaniIsaacsohn

Our Favorite Progressive Candidates in 2024 - Dani Isaacsohn, Ohio House of Representatives, District 24