Election 2024: Three vie for GOP nomination in 14th Congressional District

Mar. 14—Three Republican candidates are vying for the 14th Ohio Congressional District seat in the March 19 Primary Election.

Incumbent Dave Joyce is being challenged by Elayne J. Cross and Dr. Kenneth J. Polke.

Joyce has served in the position since 2013 and is seeking a seventh term representing the district which comprises all of Ashtabula, Lake, Trumbull, and Geauga counties, and nearly all of Portage County.

The candidate who secures the designation as the nominee will face Democrat Brian Kenderes in the Nov. 5 General Election.

According to district data, 298,786 people are eligible to vote in the race.

Here are some of the answers the candidates provided in response to questionnaires sent to them by The News-Herald:

Elayne Cross

If Cross is successful in securing the nomination, she plans to work to "defund departments that are not constitutionally defined, thereby sending them back to the states, where they belong, according to the 10th Amendment."

Cross wrote she would also strive "to end authorized use of military force and remove war powers from (the) executive branch, including Patriot Act, and would rein in (the) federal budget by refusing to vote for any omnibus, minibus, or pork-laden bills."

Dave Joyce

If Joyce secures the nomination, he plans to "pick up right where he left off" by prioritizing legislation on issues that are most important to his constituents.

"I'm proud of my record of delivering results on a wide array of issues, supporting our brave service members and veterans, and improving access to addiction treatment and other critical health services," he wrote.

He added he is running for re-election based on his record of delivering results for the 14th Congressional District and Northeast Ohio.

"Throughout this session of Congress, I have worked to strengthen our regional economy, protect and preserve the Great Lakes for future generations, and secure our southern border," he continued. "I believe that the best of America is yet to come, and I work every day to ensure the federal government is assisting rather than impeding, our nation's growth."

Kenneth J. Polke

If he secures the nomination, Polke vows to "close both the Southern Border and Northern Border by building walls while using the U.S. Army to destroy the Mexican cartel(s) and the U.S. Coast Guard to patrol the Great Lakes."

He also noted he would work to (have the United States) become energy-independent by drilling for domestic oil and other fossil fuels.

"This will bring down inflation and the cost of energy for all in Northeast Ohio," he wrote, adding he would strive to lower debt by eliminating and/or reducing government agencies and departments.

Polke asserted he would also bring manufacturing jobs "back to Ohio by imposing surcharges on all Chinese imports, and support parental rights by changing the upper echelon of the FBI and Department of Justice."