Justin Coussoule, an attorney, a West Point graduate and former Army officer, is the Democratic candidate running against Republican John Boehner for Ohio's 8th congressional district. I had the honor of interviewing Justin Coussoule.
Justin Coussoule feels that our men and women who serve and have served in the military, are precious natural resources. We should honor our vets and make sure that they receive the proper medical, psychological, and emotional support they need in a timely manner.
Coussoule has called the oil spill in the gulf "an environmental nightmare." As a nation, he said, we should move toward clean energy and put our people to work to create clean sustainable energy. With unemployment at 12% in Boehner's district, Coussoule believes future jobs will be in the area of manufacturing products that promote clean energy. With empty businesses, storefronts, and unemployed citizens in the 8th district, Coussoule feels that Boehner has ignored the needs of his own constituents.
Coussoule pointed out that Ohio's 8th district has more Independent voters than Republicans, and more Democrats than Republicans. Boehner may lose some of his usual base because of candidates representing the Libertarian Party and the Constitutional Party.
People outside of the 8th district may think that John Boehner is beloved by all his constituents. This is false. Boehner lives in a gated golf community and he spends many weekends out of his district golfing and raising campaign funds. Boehner actually has very little contact with his constituents and many are resentful that Boehner has done very little to bring jobs, and economic growth to his district. During his twenty years in Congress, Boehner has supported the earmarks of others in Congress, but he has not delivered to his own constituents. Many people in the 8th district want to know why they never see Boehner in his own district. They feel that Boehner lives in a "bubble" and is uninterested in their daily lives. As Coussoule said, "We expect our public servants to be in the district to hear the concerns of the people."
Justin and his wife, Amanda, have been married for ten years and have two children. Justin Coussoule is the Democratic candidate for Ohio's 8th district. Visit his website and his Facebook page to learn more about the issues and offer him your support.