Recent pending redistricting has given eastern Delaware County something it hasn’t seen in recent memory — a contested Democratic primary race for an Ohio House seat.

Before the redistricting, all of Delaware County was in the 2nd House District. Now, 3B’s and K Road and the Orange-Genoa township boundary divide the county into two districts. The 68th District covers everything to the east, and the 67th District covers almost all to the west.

The Democratic nomination for 68th District, which largely replaced the 90th District in Knox County, is being sought March 6 by John T. Ryerson of Gambier and Bradley Duane Schaaf of Utica.

Ryerson, 61, is single and has two adult children. He has lived in Ohio for 34 years, from 1968 to 1972 and from 1982 to the present.

A practicing attorney, Ryerson has a law degree from the Ohio State University. He also received master’s and bachelor’s degrees from Northwestern University and Kenyon College, respectively.

He served as a council member and president of the village of Gambier from 1995 to 2001.

Ryerson said he is running because, “This district has had one-party representation for 46 years. Enough is enough. I would also like to see significant changes made in Ohio’s tax structure, from income tax through property tax. It is also time to finally solve Ohio’s unconstitutional school funding system.”

Schaaf, 60, has been married for 40 years and has three children. He has lived in Ohio all his life.

He said he worked in the high-speed can industry for 34 years until being laid off on Jan. 1. He worked as a crew chief and chairman of the grievance committee.

Schaaf graduated from Olentangy High School and completed some college-level business courses.

This is his first time seeking public office.

Schaaf said, “It is time for the workers, the middle class, to have a real voice. Career politicians and lawyers have repeated the same promises for far too long. Government should work for ‘we the people.’ It is now time for the workers to put the career politicians out of a job instead of the politician putting the worker out of a job.”

Ryerson said the most pressing issue facing the state is “reforming Ohio’s tax structure and budgeting procedures, to enable responsible government in the years to come.”

For Schaaf it’s “jobs and education.”

“I will deal with it by not wasting time proposing legislation that has nothing to do with the creation of jobs. I will not propose ‘feel good’ legislation that is politically motivated. ... If you have an educated work force, you will create an environment that will attract companies instead of trying to bribe them with taxpayer money.”

Ryerson’s vision for the state is that it be “a model leader in energy technology, education and environmental protection for every state in the country.”

Schaaf wants to “make it great again. To create an environment that makes people want to come here to live instead of leaving. To polish off the rust belt image.”

Ryerson would like to see other changes before more budget cuts are made.

“The tax exemptions and exclusions from taxation for special interests need to be examined, before any further cuts need to be considered.” Schaaf said, “We need to cut more of the waste out of the budget. The governor should live in the governor’s mansion instead of paying for two houses’ upkeep. Reduce the fraud in the entitlement programs. Stop the giveaways such as selling the turnpike when it is making money for the state. Condense all the bureaucratic paperwork that duplicates the same purpose.”

Asked if Ohio needs to increase revenues to address state budget deficits, Ryerson said revenues could be increased by repealing tax exemptions and exclusions.

“Too many people, corporations and special interests are not paying their fair share now,” he said.

Schaaf said, “If that’s what it takes to meet the budget, yes. If you want to increase revenue, stop the tax fraud. But, hopefully, through some of the measures I mentioned before, we won’t have to raise revenue. The creating of jobs will indeed increase the revenue.”