12th District Congressional candidate makes stop in Zanesville

ZANESVILLE, Ohio- We’re just shy of two weeks away from the primary elections and the 12th District Congressional race is heating up.

Jackie Patton is one of seven Democrats running for the open seat. As the only woman representing the party, Patton said it’s time for women to have a seat at the table. As a nurse, she is an advocate for affordable healthcare and women’s reproductive health.

“Women’s reproductive health is so much more. And so, access to prevention and preventative care is very important and Planned Parenthood provides that service for many women. Especially women who are underserved and live in poverty,” said Patton. “We need expand access and comprehensive birth control. If we want to, you know, if we say we want to decrease abortions or we don’t want abortions then we have to provide comprehensive family planning for folks and, frankly, health education.”

Patton is also talking to business owners to see what their needs are and how to bring jobs to the area. She said qualified workers are in high demand and education and math and science need to be a priority.

“So I think technical education is a very important part of that. And so, we need to start looking at our educational system, the jobs that are available, and making sure that folks who are coming out of school are prepared for those jobs to meet the demands of the 21st century,” Patton said.

Patton is also apart of a military family and believes there needs to be more support for troops while they serve and after they serve. Patton is running against fellow Democrats: Ed Albertson, Danny O’Connor, John Peters, John Russell, Zach Scott, and Doug Wilson. The primary election will take place May 8th.