Former Air Force captain enters race for State Rep.

Troy, OH, February 5, 2014: Mark Williams, a former U.S. Air Force Captain, announced on Wednesday his intent to run for the Ohio House of Representatives in the 80th district.

After being stationed at Keesler AFB in Biloxi, Mississippi, Williams returned to live on the Kuckherman family farm in Miami County and manage the family engineering business. “As the next State Representative for Miami and Darke Counties, I want to hold the state accountable to the folks at home.” Williams said, “We need to increase transparency and ensure efficiency within the state. We must protect our hard-earned tax dollars from wasteful spending, and we owe our agricultural community protection from the increased tax burdens they are experiencing right now.”

Williams and his wife Jessica have three children and as certified foster parents in Miami County often a few more. He describes himself as pro-life, pro-family, pro-second amendment and pro-local control for education. He goes on to say that he is concerned that the implementation of Common Core is a threat to the ability of teachers to meet the needs of their classrooms. “Parents and teachers,” Williams says, “not politicians and bureaucrats in Washington, should have the greatest input into our communities’ educational policies.”

Williams said his decision to run was directly tied to his children and his family background in business. “They should have the same opportunities I experienced,” he said. Both of Williams’ grandfathers and his father were entrepreneurs. Williams noted that his wife, her mom and dad, and her grandmother, Ruby Kuckherman, all run their own businesses. He smiles as he recalls, “Not only is Grandma’s business, Ruby’s, the oldest salon in Troy, it is the oldest business in Troy with its original owner.” Williams feels that all businesses, including farmers, are stifled when they must deal with overbearing regulations and a confusing tax code. “We need a competitive, growing job market for our kids,” Williams said. “I want to protect our hope as Ohioans so that the vibrant spirits and incredible talents of our children will be free to flourish here at home.”

Williams continues, “I love America! I love that we recognize individual liberty and inalienable rights are granted to people by their creator.” Williams says he respects the manner in which Representative Adams represented the 80th district in Columbus. He thinks Rep. Adams really listened to and helped his constituents. Williams states, “People used to ask me why I decided to join the military. Now they are asking me why I want to run for office, and the answers are really the same. It’s a sense of duty to my family and friends and of appreciation to those who served before me. I served in the military to do my part in protecting this nation’s freedoms. As a State Representative I will fight to protect our counties’ conservative values and the sovereignty of the state of Ohio.”