Rita Darrow proclaims that she has always been dedicated to helping people, and has applied this mantra to her political service by holding office in Macedonia and Summit County for over 20 years. She served on Macedonia City Council from 2012-2015, including a term as President. Darrow is a passionate advocate for addiction recovery programs and works part-time handling property management duties.

Meet the Candidate

Can you tell our members a little bit about your journey to filing as a candidate?

You have to obtain a Petition and you begin to get signature from registered Democrats or Non-Partisan in my primary. Since it is a primary and I am running as the Democratic candidate. To qualify you need 50 good signatures, I always get the max, 150 signatures. You have to wait and see if anyone files petitions in your district as a registered Democrat, in my race, another gentleman pulled petitions but did not file them in time for the primary. He ended up not filing at all, so I ran unopposed in the primary. I automatically advance to the general election of 2020.

Tell our members about a friend or family member who inspired you to become a leader.

My parents were my strength and inspiration but my mom was one of the hardest workers I know. I learned my work ethics from my mom. My parents encouraged me to follow my dreams, never give up.

How has your career and life experiences shaped who you are as a person and a leader?

I have had many jobs in my life, but being a mom and homemaker was the most challenging, rewarding, the job of raising a family never ends, being strong and showing them to work hard and follow their dreams. They keep me moving forward and encourage me.

The Matriots PAC has a goal to see 50% of all elected offices in Ohio held by women by 2028. What is your vision for Ohio in 2028?

What a great goal, I would love to see women succeed at every election. Women have a way at working together and getting things done. We know the issues and hardships and how to compromise successfully.

Tip O’Neill famously said that “all politics is local.” What are the top-two issues your community or our state face today?

Opiate Addiction and Economic Development.

Tell us something personal about yourself. It can be a hobby, your favorite food or something we might not know about you that you would like to share with our members.

I enjoy cooking and baking.