I am proud to be a born and raised Northeast Ohioan. As the youngest of four, I grew up with a true understanding of the importance of family, faith and community. While I did not always realize it growing up, I am so fortunate to have been raised in a place that valued those three things as much as my parents did. More so than anything else in my life, the Cleveland area has shaped me into the person I am today. The friends I made in Taft elementary school, the rec program, and St. Luke’s church were the same friends standing next to me at the altar when I married my wife, Michaela, who I first met in sixth grade at Emerson Middle School.

 

While many of us have pursued different careers and moved all over the country, we still have one common bond that brings us together: HOME.

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In 2014, I enlisted in the United States Marine Corps. That year, on October 26th, I left Ohio unsure if I would ever return permanently. The next day, as I first stepped onto the yellow footprints at Parris Island Recruit Depot, I knew for certain I would find my way back. Upon completion of my service, Michaela and I moved home to North Olmsted. While I was initially unsure of how to financially provide for my family, the Marine Corps taught me to never back away from a challenge, so I started a local small business -- Harrington Moving. I had never been a business owner, but through the leadership skills and work ethic instilled in me, I would make it a reality. What started as a challenge turned into a fulfilling career. We have moved nearly 1000 families in our community over the past two years, truly enjoying every move because we are surrounded by special people right here at home.

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The Marine Corps took me all over the world. I started in the Carolinas, then to Romania, Italy, Bulgaria, and finished in our nation’s capital in Washington D.C. I met people from every background imaginable, and was fortunate enough to be led by some of the best men and women our country has to offer. No matter where I was, though, home was always on my mind. Michaela and I made the drive from DC to Cleveland so frequently that it felt as common as driving to Crocker Park. We would leave Friday evening, get home early Saturday morning, and be right back on the road Sunday. I even made the 12 hour drive from Camp Lejeune just to come home for our community’s Independence Day parade before turning around the next day to drive 12 hours back. At times it was exhausting, but every mile put on our car was worth it.

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My brothers in the Marines used to ask me, “why do you go home so much?” To me, the question made no sense. Why wouldn’t I go home? I would ask them, “why don’t you go home more?” The amount of times I heard Marines tell me that they enlisted just to get away from their home town was incredible. It made me realize how truly special our hometown is and that it is a shame we can’t all be from here. I thought about everything that made our home different. I thought about my neighbors on Ramona, where our street embraced the adage “it takes a village.” I thought about our teachers who doubled as role models, who genuinely cared about what we did and what we would become. I thought about our coaches who taught us so much more than just sports. I thought about how our community embraced the small businesses that make up our city, and how when we shop or eat there, we aren’t just making a sale, we are keeping someone’s lights on and food on their table.

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I have a passion for leadership and a desire to continue to serve. That is why I am working to represent our community in Columbus. When my daughter, Reagan, grows up, I want her to know that her dad did everything in his power to make sure she was able to grow up in a safe, thriving, God-loving, family-centered, American-first community, because it was her best chance at being successful and happy.

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And here is my commitment to you as I serve our community in Columbus:

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I will keep on coming back, and doing what's right, for our HOME.