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San Francisco, From Night Works, Photo by Tom Patton, 1979

Ohio Senate Majority Leader Says Primary Opponent Shouldn’t Run Against Him Because She’s a Young Mother

Tom Patton, the current Ohio Senate Majority leader is running for the Ohio House. He is clearly not worried about getting women to vote for him.

Check It: (emphasis mine)

"The gal that's running against me is a 30-year-old, you know, mom, mother of two infants," said Patton, a 62-year-old Republican from Strongsville, in a recent radio interview. "And I don't know if anybody explained to her we've got to spend three nights a week in Columbus. So, how does that work out for you? I waited until I was 48 and my kids were raised, and at least adults, before we took the opportunity to try."

Patton referred to Herold as a "young gal" and, while talking about his role in bringing additional school funding to his area, said, "I want to tell her, 'Hey Sweetie, I just got 27 percent of the pie in just my district, which is nine times what should have been done.'"

Later on, Senator Patton’s communication staffer excuse me, Senator Patton clarified his remarks.

In a statement, Patton said his comments "appear to have been misunderstood."

"As a widower who raised five daughters, it was not my intention to suggest that a young mother couldn't serve ably in the legislature," he said. "I used a poor choice of words to express what I know first-hand - raising young children and working is tough. Millions of women do just that every day, including my own daughters. I would ask to be judged on my hard work and advocacy for working families. I sincerely apologize if my words were misplaced on this matter."

His daughters must be so proud of him right now.

#tom patton #ohio #state senate #motherhood #mother #oh07