TOLEDO, Ohio —
Next week, voters will choose who will face Marcy Kaptur (D-Toledo) in November's general election to represent Ohio's 9th Congressional District.
The three Republican candidates, Derek Merrin, Craig Riedel and Steve Lankenau, discussed economic policy with WTOL 11.
All three candidates discussed the national debt, which is nearly $34.48 trillion, according to the U.S. Treasury.
According to the Bipartisan Policy Center's deficit tracker, as of February, the national deficit was $830 billion.
Derek Merrin
Currently serving his fourth term as state representative for Ohio's 42nd District, Merrin said he is concerned about the national debt.
"It's completely unsustainable and the federal government just wants to put all the new debt on American Express or Discover Card," he said.
Merrin said he is worried about the dollar losing its value and inflation. He said new policies are needed, and when it comes to voting on economic policies, he is not afraid to challenge his party.
"We shouldn't just go by party lines," Merrin said. "We should go by principles."
He also wants to ensure "we get our fair share" of federal funding.
"I want to balance the budget," Merrin said. "I'm a fiscal conservative, but when there's money being spent, we need to make sure our region's getting its fair share."
He said investments should be made locally to ports, airports and transportation.
"We need infrastructure dollars to flow in our community, and again we need an advocate," Merrin said.
Craig Riedel
Riedel formerly served three terms as state representative for the 82nd House District from 2017 to 2022.
Runaway spending and inflation are two fiscal topics Riedel said he is concerned about.
"We have to get control of this runaway inflation," he said.
He said the current spending trends of the federal government encouraged him to run for Congress.
"You can't spend money you don't have," Riedel said. "I believe in limited government and fiscal responsibility. We have to get back to that."
He said there needs to be "adults in the room willing" to make these economic decisions and he wants to see investments in nuclear energy keeping and America energy-independent.
"We have to finish the Keystone Pipeline," Riedel said. "We have to frack for natural gas. At this point in time we still need coal. We still need oil. And by all means, we need nuclear power."
He said inflation is an issue that can be addressed through the cost of energy.
Another investment he said he supports is in military and law enforcement.
Steve Lankenau
Steve Lankenau served three terms as mayor in Napoleon when he was in his early 20s. When it comes to the budget, he said he thinks of working-class families in the 9th Congressional District.
"I like to imagine that family, those parents, if they have children, sitting around their dining room table, looking at their pay stubs," Lankenau said.
He said as a public servant, those are the people he wants to keep in mind.
"I think we are spending ourselves into a very bad situation on the federal level," Lankenau said. "I'm not alone in that. I would like to introduce a balanced budget amendment."
"We need to be as a federal government, as responsible as most people are with their home finances or in their small business."
With agriculture being the number one industry in Ohio, he said farmers are one of his priorities.
"I think they need to be supported," Lankenau said. "I think we have to understand their issues."
You can find more information on the candidates here. For information regarding the election and to find your polling place, visit WTOL 11's voter guide.