Green Party candidate David Cox is an attorney who has worked for the Ohio Attorney General’s Office prosecuting corporate polluters, helped form the Farm-to-Consumer Legal Defense Fund, and was once an organic vegetable farmer.

Cox is running for Ohio Senate District 19 against state Rep. Andrew Brenner, R-Powell (67th District), and Louise Valentine, D-Genoa Township, to replace incumbent Kris Jordan, R-Ostrander, who has reached term limitations and is ineligible to run for another term for the district. Jordan, instead, is running for Ohio House District 67 to replace Brenner, the incumbent, who likewise has reached term limitations.

The 60 year old said he has voted Democrat all his life until now.

“I’ve decided that I’m not going to vote for any Democrat or Republican candidates anymore,” he said.

Cox said his platform encompasses four main issues: “get money out of politics, figure out what to do with health care, create a living wage for everybody, and to have sustainable agriculture.”

“The two-party system is just failing us,” he said. “We are where we are because of the two-party system. The two parties are so busy criticizing each other that nothing is getting done in the country. We’ve experimented, we’ve had two parties for a long time, and where has it gotten us? Divided and polarized. It’s all politics and no governing.”

Cox said he believes politicians are simply looking out for themselves, instead of working for the government and doing what is right for Americans.

“The only constituents they are talking to are the ones with money,” he said. “We need to get politics out of government so our policy leaders can govern the country.”

Cox said looking back over the last 40 years in politics, he has found that both Republicans and Democrats have each held the presidency 20 years.

“A little light bulb went off in my head,” he said. “Nothing is changing because of the money in politics. Politicians are just being bought and sold, obviously to gain their influence.

“I believe we have the best government that money can buy,” Cox added with a mischievous smile.

Cox said as the country grows and changes, the government needs to adapt to the societal needs of the people. The government needs to figure out what essential services it’s going to provide, figure out the cost, and implement a tax policy for covering that cost.

“We need to tax and spend accordingly,” he said.

Cox said he believes in a strong, limited government and that it’s simply a matter of figuring out what the people want the government to do.

“I think the government should be limited by not interfering in our private lives, but yet providing the essential services we all need,” he said.

Cox added in order to bring the kind of changes he foresees, there needs to be a call for a state and federal constitutional convention.

“I think we need to amend the constitution at the federal level and the state level to get money out of politics,” he said. “Which is why we need a strong governmental debate of which services it will provide.”

Cox said he is confident, knows the issues, and what the people want.

“I’ve been a public servant for 14 years. I know how to defend property, and I know the limit and extent of governmental authority,” he said.

Cox obtain his law degree from Capital University and holds an undergraduate degree from The Ohio State University.