As an active supporter of fellow women running for office, Tina Cottone knows what it takes to represent her community and make a significant difference. In 2017 she helped organize and launch, Indivisible Ohio District 15 and continues to be a member of the group today. A second-time candidate, Cottone pledges to work for a livable community for people of all ages and increase housing diversity throughout Hilliard. Cottone hopes that by running for office, she will encourage more people to become involved in their local communities, especially women.

Meet the Candidate

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

My work with local activist groups and state and national campaigns led to people asking me to run for City Council. I said yes because we need both more women and more Democrats on the council. I am also running to encourage more people to become involved in their local communities and to show other women that they, too, can and should run for political office.

Tip O’Neill famously said that “all politics is local.” What are the top two issues your community faces today and how do you plan to address them?

Hilliard has been grown a lot in the last 20 years and is looking at the rapid growth in the next 20 years. We need strong plans in place for how we want to see that growth happen. The growth should include mixed-use development and green spaces so that we have walkable neighborhoods where we can live, work, play, and age in place. The 2nd part of that development should include community involvement in the development plans.

What stands out in our values as most important to you and your experience (or expected experience) in public office? Our values are:

∙      Economic empowerment

∙      Equity and independence

∙      Dominion over our bodies

∙      Access to education

∙      Safe communities in which to live and raise our families

I believe economic empowerment, equity and independence and safe communities in which to live and raise our families are the issues that are most likely to be addressed at the city level. I will support the values of the Matriots as is applicable at the level of City Council in Hilliard Ohio, chiefly, giving women a voice in local matters and being a role model that encourages other women to run for office and become active in our community.

What does a Matriots PAC endorsement mean to you and your campaign?

A Matriots PAC endorsement means I am trusted by the Matriots to be a role model for Matriots’ values. That trust gives voters an insight into my beliefs and personal values.  And because this endorsement comes with a generous financial contribution to my campaign, this allows me to reach more voters by mail, which further supports my extremely robust canvassing efforts.