ASHLAND — Voters in Ohio House District 67 will choose between incumbent Republican Melanie Miller and Democratic candidate Heather Sample in the Nov. 3 general election.
The district includes all of Ashland County and part of western Medina County.
November’s winner will take office Jan. 1 with the two-year term expiring Dec. 31, 2028.
Here is a look at the candidates, in alphabetical order.
Melanie Miller
Miller, 40, is completing her second term in the Ohio House and is seeking a third term representing District 67. She was first elected in 2022 and took office in January 2023.
Miller graduated from Midpark High School and Polaris Career Center, where she completed the medical assisting program. She earned a bachelor’s degree in communication and digital media and film from Cleveland State University.
Before entering elected office, Miller worked in television and media, served as youth ministries director at The Salvation Army Kroc Corps Community Center in Ashland and became executive director of the Ashland Pregnancy Care Center, a position she has held for more than a decade.
She also worked as a professional dancer and was crowned Miss Ohio in 2006.
Miller currently chairs the Ohio House Arts, Athletics and Tourism Committee. She also serves on the Health, Technology and Innovation, and Children and Human Services committees.
Miller said affordability is one of her top priorities for the next General Assembly.
She pointed to property tax reform, including efforts to limit increases, as one area where she believes additional work is needed. She also cited an expanded homestead exemption, the state’s sales tax holiday and a recent gas tax holiday as examples of efforts intended to reduce costs for Ohio residents.
“Affordability for families is still at the forefront and the priority for Ohioans,” Miller said.
Miller also identified maternal health as a priority, particularly for rural communities.
She said the closure of maternity units in Ashland and Medina counties has made it more difficult for women in the district to deliver babies close to home. She said she wants to continue working on maternal health access and legislation involving midwives.
Melanie also said she supports guardrails requiring data centers to address their impact on electricity, water and farmland.
“I am committed to making sure that if data centers are looking to come to our state, or even in our district, that they’re bringing their own power, and adding it to the grid,” she said.
Miller also said she wants to continue promoting tourism in Ohio as chair of the Arts, Athletics and Tourism Committee. She said she hopes to advance a statewide tourism pass to encourage more Ohioans to visit attractions throughout the state.
Her experience in the legislature gives her an understanding of how state government works. Her work in the community has helped her stay connected to constituents.
“I know that this job is not about doing what Melanie wants, but being a good listener, and visiting the district, and hearing what’s on the minds of our constituents,” Miller said.
She said accessibility is one of the qualities she believes is important in a state representative.
I work for my constituents. I do not work for myself.
Melanie Miller
Miller said she believes disagreement between voters and elected officials is part of a functioning democracy and said she wants to remain willing to have difficult conversations with constituents.
“Even though we may not agree on everything, I’m willing to sit down and have those hard conversations,” Miller said. “I think ultimately, that’s how we grow. That’s how we learn. That’s how we make our district and our state a better place to live.”
Heather Sample
Sample, 48, was born and raised in Ashland and graduated from Ashland High School in 1996. She earned a degree in paralegal studies from North Central State College in 2005 and has worked in the legal field since then.
Her work has involved family law, civil litigation and criminal defense. She currently works for a criminal defense practice serving courts around the region.
Sample has not held elected public office. She ran for Ashland City Council Ward 2 in 2021 and has been involved in local Democratic Party leadership, becoming chair of the Ashland County Democratic Party in January 2024.
Sample said her decision to run for state representative grew from her experiences in local politics and her concerns about how state government responds to voters.
“I don’t feel that we’re represented, and so that’s why I chose to do what I did,” Sample said.
She looks to address issues like affordability, health care and education as concerns she hears from residents in Ashland and Medina counties. She also identified data centers, voting rights and the relationship between government and constitutional rights as areas of concern.
On affordability, Sample said state lawmakers need to look at how existing resources are used rather than continually asking residents to pay more.
“Everybody wants to be able to buy groceries. Everybody wants to be able to pay their electric bill. So we’re all the same. We all want the same outcome; it’s how we do it to get there,” Sample said.
Sample also said she wants to see more attention on education and health care — and encouraging cooperation between lawmakers from both parties.
“I don’t think there’s just one specific way to make it all work,” she said. “I think it’s going to have to take a combination of people, things, places, energy, determination, willingness.”
Her legal career has shaped the way she approaches public service, especially her belief that people should be treated fairly even when they have made mistakes.
She said she would bring an emphasis on listening to constituents and explaining decisions to voters.
“If I’m going to vote on something, I better be damn ready to explain to somebody why I did that,” Sample said. “I can’t run from somebody that wants to ask me a question.”
Sample said she wants voters to know she would represent people regardless of their political affiliation.
I’m not here for the party. I’m here for the people.
Heather Sample
“We’re all human, and we all have to have someone that’s willing to listen, and to do what’s right for all of us,” Sample said.
