Democrat Taylor Sappington announces plan to run for the Ohio House's 94th District

The Nelsonville native is the first candidate to announce plans to run for the Ohio House's 94th District in 2018. The seat is currently served by Republican Rep. Jay Edwards.

[dropcap txtcolor="#234a83" style="dropcap1"]T[/dropcap]aylor Sappington announced last month that he will be running for State Representative for the 94th District.

The current representative is Republican Jay Edwards, a Nelsonville native who has been in office since 2016. He hasn't officially announced he will run for reelection, but according to the Athens Messenger, it is likely he will.The election will be held in May of 2018. No one else has announced they will be running for the 94th District.[AdSense-A]Here's what to know about Taylor Sappington:Sappington, who is currently serving on Nelsonville City Council,  is pushing for expanded access to health care, more funding for local governments and to address the growing drug problems of southeast Ohio."It's just time to stand up and be counted," Sappington said. "That's now. There are big problems and it's time to stand up, be counted and say the path were going on has to stop."Sappington grew up in Nelsonville and graduated from Nelsonville High School. After his mother lost her job, he took an interest in politics. He said going through the rough patches of life made him realize how much influence politicians have, and he wanted to be a part of the solution."I got interested in politics because I wanted to help empower people who can be in situations that feel powerless," he said. "I want that to be a main stance in my campaign as well."He said he is disappointed in the lack of integrity in politics and elections. Sexual harassment and assault, as well as gerrymandering, are issues that need to be more directly addressed, he said.The Southeastern Ohio drug epidemic is another issue that Sappington said he plans to change. The governor's opioid program "Start Talking" is ineffective and outdated, Sappington said."We're past conversation," he said. "We just need increased funds for our frontline responders, we need more beds for people who are providing treatment and we need relief for our communities."Sappington plans on running his campaign on hard work and genuine interest in helping the community, he said. "I am focused wholly on showing that I believe we're right on the issues," he said. "We're willing to work for it. And we're willing to work harder than anyone.”