2024 Candidate Questionnaire – Tim O’Hara

Candidate Questionnaire – Tim O’Hara

United States House of Representatives – 2nd District

Biography:

Tim O’Hara was born and raised in Southern Ohio, the middle of five boys and the son of a Vietnam Marine veteran. Four days after graduating from Western Brown High School, he went to boot camp at Parris Island and served seven and a half years in the Marine Corps. His military career included several deployments as an infantryman, countless leadership training, and a tour as a drill instructor, where he made Marines, taught them the values of country before self, and instilled in them the patriot duty to the cause. He was honorably discharged as a Staff Sergeant. After his military service, Tim wanted to move to the best place to live, work, and raise a family: Southern Ohio. There, he pursued a career in small business, quickly finding success franchising RadioShack dealerships, Verizon Wireless agencies, LaRosa’s Pizzerias, and Dunkin’ Donuts franchises in Southern Ohio, employing thousands of Ohioans in the process. During COVID, Tim saw firsthand the damage that an out-of-control government could do to a business – particularly in the retail and food service industries. He managed to lead his businesses through that time but saw that many Ohio businesses didn’t make it.

What are your three most important policy priorities? What do you hope will be the impact of implementing these policies?

If I am fortunate enough to serve the people of OH-02, my top three priorities will be to build the wall and authorize the military to secure our border, kick out China by banning them from buying Ohio farmland, and undo the policies of Joe Biden that have driven up inflation and raised the cost of gas and groceries.

If elected, what will be your approach to engage with constituents and businesses to gather input on legislative/policy decisions?

I have been a businessman in our community for years. When we ran into issues like dealing with COVID and keeping our businesses open, the most important step was communication. I needed to keep my employees aware of our plans on how we were keeping the doors open on a daily basis. When I’m in Congress, I will do the same. I will get everyone in a room and ensure there is communication and understanding on any policy decisions out of D.C.

In your opinion, what are the two most important challenges facing our county and how do you propose to address them?  

We have a massive border problem and the result is a rampant opioid epidemic in Ohio. The first step of fixing this is closing the border and enforcing our laws. I will hold our leaders accountable and keep dangerous drugs from flowing up to our communities.

How do you plan to address regulatory challenges that local businesses face? Are there specific regulations or policies you would advocate in order to streamline business operations?

Government needs to get out of the way and let local businesses thrive and compete. Taxes on new businesses hurt the most as a business owner myself. Reducing the burden on folks who decide to start a business would be the best way to incentivize entrepreneurship.

How do you plan to address infrastructure needs in our region, such as transportation, broadband, and utilities, to support business growth?

We can’t help our own communities when billions of dollars of foreign aid is being sent to countries where we have no return on investment or way of tracking where it goes. Some of the dollars we spend overseas should be invested back into local infrastructure. I will ensure those funds are redirected in Congress.

What strategies do you propose to enhance workforce development and address any skills gaps in our community?

We need a stronger focus on Career and Technical Centers. These schools teach the trade jobs our community relies on and provides a great paying job. In Congress, I will be an advocate for these schools and students.

What measures do you propose to attract new businesses and encourage entrepreneurship locally?

As a Congressman for this district, the best thing I can do to encourage local business growth is advocate and vote for tax cuts that provide a relief to new businesses.

As a member of an elected body, how would you work with your colleagues to build relationships and build consensus for your ideas?

Knock on their doors and talk to my fellow members of Congress directly. Communication is key!