Two candidates are running in Ohio’s 2nd Congressional District’s Democratic primary: Jen Mazzuckelli and Todd Wilson. Both are political newcomers.
Democratic voters in the Southern Ohio district will cast their ballots in the state's primary election May 5.
Ohio Republican U.S. Rep. David Taylor of Amelia is running for reelection and will face Bob Carr in the Republican primary.
The district is one of the most heavily Republican congressional districts in Ohio, according to the Cook Partisan Voting Index.
Learn more about Mazzuckelli and Wilson below. Candidates were given the same survey questions and word limit of no more than 300 words to respond to each question. All candidate responses have been lightly edited for grammar and style.
Jennifer Mazzuckelli
Campaign website: jen4oh2.com
Biography
My name is Jennifer Mazzuckelli (Mazz-uh-kelly) but please, just call me Jen. I am campaigning to replace Congressman David Taylor as Ohio District 2's representative in the House because we deserve a representative who will fight tenaciously and fearlessly for each and every one of us regardless of our party affiliation. I earned a Bachelor of Arts in English / Creative Writing from Illinois College where I wrote for the college newspaper and served as the founding editor o[f] a political journal. I also was the first student from my college to participate in the Washington Center for Internships and Seminars. I spent a semester in Washington, D.C. interning in the Pentagon's Office of Community Relations. Later, when my oldest daughter was 6 months old, I began the Teacher Education program at Miami University and earned a Master of Arts in Teaching/Secondary Education.
I’ve been told that I have a writer’s resume. Over the years I have delivered newspapers, worked at Wendy’s and at a domestic violence shelter. I have worked as a server in a variety of restaurants and been terrible at them all. I have worked at a landscape nursery, helped demo a house and worked at a daycare center. I worked as a Human Resource Assistant and a high school English teacher.
I’ve wanted to work in our government since the 4th grade when I decided that I wanted to be the first ‘girl’ president. I thought I would have to know important people. I thought I would have to have a lot of money. In 2024 I ran out of reasons and decided to make a go for it. I ran for county commissioner of Clermont County. Despite my predictable loss, I continue to advocate for county needs.
What life or professional experiences make you qualified for this position?
I am a “regular” person with “regular people” problems. I am a recovering alcoholic with 30 years of sobriety. I am the single mother of three brilliant children and we are survivors of domestic violence. I dropped from the privilege of the middle class into the "extremely low" income level almost immediately after pressing charges against my husband and I understand how easy it is to lose everything and how difficult it is to climb back on your feet.
I have lived the stress of housing and food insecurity. I know what it’s like to have to ration car trips to make sure there is enough gas in the car to take my kids to school. More importantly I know how frustrating it is to have representation that never seems interested in solving the problems that will make our lives easier. I decided to run for office because I am tired of waiting for the “right” person to act on our behalf. I am tired of being represented by politicians who seem to care more about keeping us angry and divided so that they can hold onto their jobs.
I have no interest in being a politician. I strive to be an effective public servant who is responsive to the people that gave me their trust and proxy. It’s time that the rural communities, women and children of OH-2 have a fierce advocate that will fiercely and tenaciously fight to make their lives better. If elected I will be a responsive representative of the district’s best interests. And I will never forget that I have been sent to Washington BY the people to work on behalf OF the people.
What concerns or themes are you hearing in conversations with people in your district and how do you specifically plan to address those issues with legislation or other solutions?
Aside from the rapidly rising cost of living, the most common theme I hear, regardless of party affiliation, is that we need to get money out of our political system. The collateral damage of the Citizen’s United decision has been a dysfunctional government that prioritizes the welfare of corporations and billionaires and sacrifices OUR wellbeing and health of our country.
I hear frustration and anger at our government for turning a blind eye to Jeffery Epstein’s depraved, global, sex trafficking enterprise allowing it to flourish. This has been a sharp reminder for many women that in 2026 we still are not valued as full and equal citizens in this country.
And I frequently hear frustration and regret about the family members or friendships that have been damaged due to the toxic political rhetoric we are served daily by our elected leaders and media personalities.
The plain fact is that I can’t fix any of those problems on my own. All I can do is lead by example.
So even though there isn’t much I can and do to stop the wealthy and the large companies from having an outsized influence, I can and do commit to only accept small dollar donations no matter how outspent I am by the incumbent representative.
I commit to being a responsive public servant and will provide a variety of ways for my constituents to relay their concerns. Including in-person town hall meetings.
Finally, I will never create an office environment in which my staffers feel comfortable displaying a swastika.
How would you appeal to constituents who are not aligned with your party?
I am old enough to remember a time when we could vigorously debate big issues and remain friends. I believe that all perspectives are necessary in our society so that we can get closer to finding solutions that work for everyone. There are too many politicians who get elected into office and then single-mindedly pursue policies and legislation that fits into their own ideology or their own partisan agenda.
I will be a public servant that represents all of my constituents to the best of my ability. I will never disparage my constituents with the hyper-partisan insults that are common these days.
When I ran for Clermont County commissioner in 2024 I talked to everyone regardless of party affiliation. I spoke authentically and factually and refrained from personal attacks. There were several people who told me after they’d voted that I was the only Democrat they had voted for. I’m confident that while not everyone may agree with everything I have to say, we’ll be able to find some common ground. And to be honest, I think that most of us are ready for a less toxic and divisive atmosphere.
Your district crosses a wide swath of communities in Southern Ohio from the outskirts of Cincinnati to the West Virginia border. How do you plan to represent the unique needs of each community?
This is a great question. This district is so diverse. We have suburban areas that are part of larger metropolitan areas. As you drive along 32 you pass long stretches of farm land before you come to a town that may be so small that you’d miss it if you blinked. Route 50 winds along the river and is more scenic. And thrown into all of that mix we have a college town. Chillicothe has an immigrant community that has been affected by the mass deportations. Several counties are fighting to keep large data centers from setting up shop in their proverbial backyard. There are counties that have rates of poverty that are above the state and national average. There are long stretches without cell phone coverage and/or broadband access. This district was one of the areas targeted by the Sackler family and there are still high rates of substance abuse. Rural hospitals in this district are struggling to stay open. Farmers are struggling. Veterans are struggling. Families are struggling. Women and children are struggling.
I can’t assume what the specific needs are of each county so I will have to begin with a listening tour. I will continue to touch base with the residents of each county. Some issues can be easily addressed while others may require legislation and the cooperation of others. I’ll work to address the needs strategically and will be transparent and honest about the progress, or lack thereof, that I’m able to make.
Do you think our economy is on the right track?
Our economy is not on track. According to the recent Treasury Report we are not currently solvent. Although we are starting to feel the effects of the global trade war, economists do not believe we are experiencing the full effects yet. The war is adding to the deficit exponentially. Inflation rates and the unemployment rates are increasing. Job growth is decreasing. Many industries that relied on immigrant labor are struggling due to the mass deportations. And the major cuts from the “Big Beautiful Bill” aren’t set to go into effect until next year.
We have big problems.
But big problems aren’t impossible. They just require creativity, persistence and collaboration.
Things may be uglier and scarier right now than they have been in a very long time. But the truth is that our government hasn’t been working all that well for a very long time. We have an opportunity to dream big. To imagine what a government that works for all of us, regardless of economic status, gender, race, age, ability, national origin and then to work to bring that vision into fruition. But we have to find a way to work together.
United We Stand. Divided We Fall.
Todd Wilson
Campaign website: mrwilsongoestowashington.com
Biography
I am an Ohio native. I was born in Washington Court House, Ohio, and grew up in Athens, Ohio, and currently live in Albany, Ohio. My family on my mother's side were farmers and on my father's side were in construction. I graduated from Ohio University in 1994 with a BS in Mechanical Engineering, in 2025 with a Master's in project management, and am currently finishing up my BS in Marine, Freshwater and Environmental Biology.
What life or professional experiences make you qualified for this position?
I worked in manufacturing for a supplier to American Honda for six years, ran a small business (restaurant) for 12 years, was a manager at Lowes, a service manager and then general manager at a lawn and agricultural equipment dealership, and now work at Ohio University as a learning lab coordinator in the Engineering Technology and Management department of the Russ College of Engineering. I feel my wide variety of experiences and education gives me a unique skillset that will allow me to best serve the constituents of Ohio's second congressional district.
What concerns or themes are you hearing in conversations with people in your district and how do you specifically plan to address those issues with legislation or other solutions?
Education/schools. Development of rural economies. Health care. Data centers is another big one. As far as the first three issues go, the problem is really the problem that it has always been, and that is funding. Either funding is not making it to local communities, or funding is not being approved in Congress for the right things. It is critical that budgets that redirect funding to the most important needs of the American people are created and passed and that is not happening right now. Furthermore, a billionaire tax needs to happen and this would generate much if not all of the additional funding needed for many programs. As far as data centers go, I am firmly against them. They do not generate long-term employment, they are detrimental to local communities and environments, and they are a ridiculously large consumer of energy when we are already facing high energy costs as it is.
How would you appeal to constituents who are not aligned with your party?
One of the things I focus on in my campaign is bringing Americans back together. There has been a divide for too long. One thing I try to do is listen. To everybody, on both sides. Listening is a great way to bring down walls. Unfortunately for too long, especially in rural America, people have been getting talked at instead of listened to. I want to really have discussions with constituents and hear their issues and come up with solutions to their problems, not just tell them what they want to hear and hang out in Congress until election time again and do nothing. There is too much of that happening. What people on both sides don't always realize is that we are all more alike than we are different. We have mostly the same problems, but those in politics are really good at making us forget that and focusing on other things that divide us. We are never going to agree on everything but we absolutely can agree on the most important things if we listen to each other and have civil, respectful conversations.
Your district crosses a wide swath of communities in Southern Ohio, from the outskirts of Cincinnati to the West Virginia border. How do you plan to represent the unique needs of each communities?
District 2 is probably the largest district by area and reaches nearly the entire width of the state. It also has more counties in it than any other district. But even more complex than the size and number of counties is the diversity of needs across the district. There are urban areas and farmland, red and blue areas, and all kinds of cultural backgrounds including Appalachian. The way you represent an area with this much size and variety is by talking to the people and being knowledgeable about their needs. And I don't just mean they tell you what their problem is and you make a note of it. I mean you research the issues, you learn about the areas. Nobody knows everything or has all of the answers, but you can LEARN everything if you just work hard enough at it and once you have, you can start working to solve the issues. The main difference is that I am not a politician, I am a regular person like everyone else. I live with struggle too, and I want to work with constituents to solve problems, because we all share many of the same problems.
Do you think our economy is currently on the right track?
Absolutely not. Every indicator shows otherwise. Interest rates remain high, credit card rates are higher than they've ever been, cost of consumer goods are higher, energy costs are higher. The argument that the market is up means nothing to a large percentage of families (even those with decent, full time jobs) who still live paycheck to paycheck and have no part in the game of the stock market. The gap between the top 1% and the rest of us, (especially the bottom 50%) keeps getting bigger and bigger and this is not sustainable. Job growth is not good, and the majority of jobs being created are not the best paying kind that we need.