United SHE Stands

He Ran Without the Party and Got 44% Anyway | Jesse Baker on His Progressive Run for Ohio State Senate

Sara Petrie — Tue, 23 Jun 2026 09:31:29 GMT

In episode 184, we sit down with Jesse Baker, a progressive challenger who ran a scrappy, grassroots campaign for Ohio State Senate with no establishment support and nearly pulled off an upset - earning 44% of the vote and over 12,000 Ohioans behind him.

Jesse is an Ohio native from Findlay and a graduate of The Ohio State University, now living in Columbus’s Hilltop neighborhood with his wife Emily and their two cats. Rather than a career in politics, Jesse spent his professional life in business and technology - solving problems and helping organizations operate more effectively.

Raised by a single father, Jesse has personally navigated food stamps, years without health insurance, and student loan debt. He didn’t just observe these systems — he lived them. That experience drives his belief that the Statehouse has grown disconnected from working Ohioans, and that the Democratic Party has prioritized its own power over boldly fighting for people.

Jesse’s campaign is centered on fighting for working families, protecting individual rights, and building a more affordable Ohio - led by transparent, courageous leaders willing to put real solutions ahead of partisan games and monied interests.

Resources:

We’re bringing together digital creators from across the state to build a powerful digital organizing network called Ohio Creators for Progress. Support and donate to this effort below! ⬇️

Donate here!

Connect with United SHE Stands:

This episode was edited by Kevin Tanner. Learn more about him and his services here:

Building the Next Generation of Women Leaders Through Brain Science with Sarah Jakle of DemocraShe

Sara Petrie — Tue, 16 Jun 2026 09:31:04 GMT

In episode 183, we sit down with Sarah Jakle of DemocraShe to explore how brain science is unlocking a new generation of bold, civically engaged women leaders.

Sarah Jakle is the Founder and Executive Director of DemocraShe, a nonpartisan national nonprofit empowering underserved high school girls to become future leaders, voters, and elected officials. Her approach uniquely integrates brain science into civic leadership training, helping young women overcome barriers, build courage and ambition, and claim their place in public life.

Previously, Sarah served as Get Out The Vote Director for California NOW and National Outreach Director for Field Team 6. Her passion for women in politics began as an intern at the Women’s Council of the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee.

Sarah has a Bachelors from Yale, a Masters in Social Work from USC and a Masters in Public Policy from UCLA. She was a 2025 Movement Builder Fellow with How Women Lead and was a Fellow with Obama’s Organizing For Action.

Resources:

We’re bringing together digital creators from across the state to build a powerful digital organizing network called Ohio Creators for Progress. Support and donate to this effort below! ⬇️

Donate here!

Connect with United SHE Stands:

This episode was edited by Kevin Tanner. Learn more about him and his services here:

Don't Wait for the Wave: Organizing to Win the House with Andrew Grossman of Battleground Alliance

Sara Petrie — Tue, 09 Jun 2026 09:31:19 GMT

In episode 182, we talk with Andrew Grossman of Battleground Alliance about why Democrats can’t afford to wait for a wave election and how a $50 million, labor-backed organizing operation across 37 Republican-held House districts is building the infrastructure to win back the House majority in 2026.

Andrew is a nationally recognized campaign innovator and leader specializing in strategy, campaign management, and executive recruitment for campaigns, non-profits, advocacy groups and unions.

Since starting Grossman Solutions in 2007, he helped pass the Affordable Care Act, served as Director of the Democratic National Convention Platform Committee four times, and created a distinctive talent recruitment practice, placing hundreds of leaders at organizations including America Vote, Planned Parenthood and several Democratic party committees. His earlier roles include executive and political director at the DSCC (1999–2004), founder and president of Wal‑Mart Watch (2005–2007), and field organizer for Jesse Jackson’s 1988 campaign.

Resources:

We’re bringing together digital creators from across the state to build a powerful digital organizing network called Ohio Creators for Progress. Support and donate to this effort below! ⬇️

Donate here!

Connect with United SHE Stands:

This episode was edited by Kevin Tanner. Learn more about him and his services here:

The Women’s Health Playbook with Priya Bathija

Sara Petrie — Tue, 02 Jun 2026 09:30:59 GMT

In episode 181, we sit down with our first three-peat guest and our friend, Priya Bathija, to talk about her new podcast that every woman needs to listen to - The Women’s Health Playbook!

Priya is a sought-after speaker and expert on women’s health, with more than 20 years of experience working with hospitals, tech start-ups, and public health organizations to make healthcare better for patients and providers alike. She blends strategic insight, practical experience, and a focus on scalable solutions with a deep understanding of the people and businesses healthcare impacts.

Women’s health has been a consistent throughline in Priya’s career. In 2022, she founded Nyoo Health - driven by a clear vision of how healthcare can lead change and the urgent need to act. Nyoo Health helps healthcare organizations rethink women’s health in realistic, actionable steps that start now – resulting in better care, inspired staff, and healthier outcomes for everyone.

Resources:

We’re bringing together digital creators from across the state to build a powerful digital organizing network called Ohio Creators for Progress. Support and donate to this effort below! ⬇️

Donate here!

Connect with United SHE Stands:

This episode was edited by Kevin Tanner. Learn more about him and his services here:

We Need YOUR Help to Flip Ohio!

Sara Petrie — Thu, 28 May 2026 22:33:26 GMT

Donate to Ohio Creators for Progress

Hey y’all!

Have you heard? We’re doing something pretty exciting over here and we’d love for you to be part of it.

We launched Ohio Creators for Progress, a statewide network of over 120 digital creators (and counting) coming together to organize online, engage Ohioans, and help push our state to the left. Think of it as meeting people where they already are (yes, we mean online) and turning that into real political power.

We kicked off our first digital fundraiser a couple of weeks ago to raise money for United SHE Stands Action Fund (USSAF 🤪), our PAC that funds Ohio Creators for Progress. USSAF is an Ohio PAC with no corporate money, no super PAC money, and no dark money - just real people investing in real change for Ohio.

Our goal for this digital fundraiser is to raise $2,500. So far, we’ve only raised less than 30% of our goal. 😬

Will you consider donating today? Even a small amount gets us closer. And if you really want to help, share this with your friends, family, and/or followers. Every dollar raised goes right back into supporting Ohioans fighting for our state.

This fall, we’re gearing up to run digital campaigns to help elect Amy Acton. But we can’t get there without funding the infrastructure first.

Ohio deserves more. Let’s build it together. 💙

DONATE HERE ♡

We appreciate you!

With love and Ohio pride,

Ashley & Sara

A Resistance History of the United States: Meet the Moment with Tad Stoermer

Sara Petrie — Tue, 26 May 2026 09:30:52 GMT

In episode 180, we talk with Tad Stoermer about his book A Resistance History of the United States - the buried stories, the patriot mythology used to contain dissent, and the principles history offers us for meeting the moment we're living through right now.

Tad Stoermer is a public historian who trained at the University of Virginia, Johns Hopkins, and Harvard, with a particular focus on Colonial and Revolutionary America. He is also a former congressional staffer and speechwriter, and he served in the US Army and Reserves as a reconnaissance scout. He currently lives in Denmark.

Resources:

Tad’s Website - Buy A Resistance History of the United States here!
Social Media

We’re bringing together digital creators from across the state to build a powerful digital organizing network called Ohio Creators for Progress. Support and donate to this effort below! ⬇️

Donate here!

Connect with United SHE Stands:

This episode was edited by Kevin Tanner. Learn more about him and his services here:

What Progressive Means in Ohio: Kim McCarthy on Building Power from the Inside while Running for Office

Sara Petrie — Tue, 19 May 2026 09:30:59 GMT

In episode 179, we talk with Kim McCarthy about building power from the inside, including her campaign for the 70th Ohio House district, the Ohio Progressive Caucus, and what progressive politics actually looks like in Ohio.

Kim became politically engaged through the Occupy Wall Street movement in 2011, later advocating on issues like corporate accountability and GMO labeling before turning her focus to local politics after the 2016 election. Using her accounting background, she challenged ineffective representation in Greene County, running strong grassroots campaigns in 2018 and 2020 that significantly shifted vote margins and broke fundraising records. She was elected Chair of the Greene County Democratic Party in 2022, where she works to rebuild the party around progressive values. An immigrant from Australia and a mother of three, Kim supports universal healthcare, a living wage, paid leave, environmental stewardship, and removing billionaire influence from politics.

Resources:

We’re bringing together digital creators from across the state to build a powerful digital organizing network called Ohio Creators for Progress. Support and donate to this effort below! ⬇️

Donate here!

Connect with United SHE Stands:

This episode was edited by Kevin Tanner. Learn more about him and his services here:

The Book All Over Your Feed: Debriefing Yesteryear with Traci Thomas of The Stacks

Sara Petrie — Thu, 14 May 2026 09:31:05 GMT

Surprise! Bonus episode! In episode 178, we're joined by Traci Thomas of The Stacks podcast to debrief Caro Claire Burke's debut novel Yesteryear - yes, the book you’ve been seeing all over social media.

Traci is the creator and host of the critically acclaimed literary podcast, The Stacks. She is a passionate champion of books and a deeply curious interviewer. Traci is a monthly contributor on NPR’s Here & Now, a columnist for shereads.com, the creator of the LAist live literary series, One for the Books. She also hosts and moderates literary events, book festivals, and author talks nationwide. Traci’s Substack, Unstacked, is a place where she dives deeper into books, and also discusses topics outside the literary world like pop culture, sports, politics, and more.

Away from The Stacks, Traci is a lover of hot takes, a watcher of sports, and a true snack enthusiast. Originally from Oakland, CA, she now lives in Los Angeles with her husband, Mr. Stacks, and her twin boys, the Mini Stacks.

Resources

We’re bringing together digital creators from across the state to build a powerful digital organizing network called Ohio Creators for Progress. Support and donate to this effort below! ⬇️

Donate here!

Connect with United SHE Stands:

This episode was edited by Kevin Tanner. Learn more about him and his services here:

Ohio Equal Rights: Equal Rights and Marriage Equality for Every Ohioan

Sara Petrie — Tue, 12 May 2026 09:31:15 GMT

In episode 177, we sit down with Liz Schmidt, the Executive Committee Co-Chair of Ohio Equal Rights, to talk about the campaign to amend Ohio's constitution and make it the strongest equal rights framework in the nation.

Ohio's constitution offers no equal rights protections for residents. There are no protections from government discrimination based on race, sex, sexual orientation, disability, or other attributes. Marriage equality rests only on federal guarantees that could be reversed. Ohio Equal Rights is pursuing two citizen-led ballot amendments to change that, the Ohio Equal Rights Amendment and The Ohio Right to Marry Amendment, potentially making Ohio home to the most comprehensive state equal rights framework in the nation.

Resources:

We’re bringing together digital creators from across the state to build a powerful digital organizing network called Ohio Creators for Progress. Support and donate to this effort below! ⬇️

Donate here!

Connect with United SHE Stands:

This episode was edited by Kevin Tanner. Learn more about him and his services here:

Ohio, We Have a Data Center Problem: A Conversation with Innovation Ohio

Sara Petrie — Tue, 05 May 2026 09:31:06 GMT

In episode 176, we are finally talking about DATA CENTERS. Ohio is in the middle of a data center boom. Google, Amazon, Meta, and dozens of other tech giants are building massive facilities across the state — particularly in Central Ohio — drawn by cheap land, fiber infrastructure, and generous tax breaks from our Statehouse. While these companies are selling the story of jobs and economic growth, a report from Innovation Ohio raises serious questions about who is really footing the bill. The answer unfortunately, is all of us.

Joining us today is Michael McGovern, President and CEO of Innovation Ohio, the organization behind that report. Innovation Ohio is Ohio’s Progressive politics and policy hub. It’s an organization that bridges advocacy, activism, and policymaking in Ohio. By building coalitions, conducting research, and coordinating messaging campaigns, they tackle critical issues at the local, state, and federal levels. Their work focuses on improving the lives of Ohio workers and families, creating opportunities for all Ohioans, and strengthening communities from the ground up.

And today with Michael, we’re going to dig into what’s actually happening to Ohio’s electric grid, why the average Ohio family could be looking at roughly $70 more on their monthly power bill by 2028, and what state lawmakers are (and aren’t) doing about it. This is a conversation every Ohioan needs to hear.

Resources:

We’re bringing together digital creators from across the state to build a powerful digital organizing network called Ohio Creators for Progress. Support and donate to this effort below! ⬇️

Donate here!

Connect with United SHE Stands:

This episode was edited by Kevin Tanner. Learn more about him and his services here:

Your Guide to the Ohio Primary Election on May 5th

Sara Petrie — Tue, 28 Apr 2026 09:31:32 GMT

In episode 175, we break down the Ohio Primary on May 5th, walking you through statewide races, the Senate special election, Ohio Supreme Court races, congressional districts across the state, and more.

Our Ohio Primary Voter Guide

Resources:

We’re bringing together digital creators from across the state to build a powerful digital organizing network called Ohio Creators for Progress. Support and donate to this effort below! ⬇️

Donate here!

Connect with United SHE Stands:

This episode was edited by Kevin Tanner. Learn more about him and his services here:

Young, Fired Up, and Done Waiting: Tom Herner for Ohio House District 37

Sara Petrie — Tue, 21 Apr 2026 09:30:44 GMT

In episode 174, we sit down with Tom Herner, Democratic candidate for Ohio House District 37, to talk about what it takes to flip a seat, fight public corruption, and actually represent the people who sent you to Columbus.

Tom Herner is a lifelong Ohioan, Centerville High School graduate, and Wright State University alumnus running for State Representative in District 37. Raised by union parents and conceived through IVF, Tom is a direct product of the public schools and reproductive healthcare he now fights to protect.

With over a decade of experience in banking, internal auditing, and entrepreneurship, Tom brings a sharp eye for accountability to Columbus. He is dedicated to lowering the cost of living by expanding the Homestead Exemption, fully funding public schools through the Fair School Funding Plan, and ensuring Ohio remains a state where reproductive freedom is a protected right. Learn more about Tom’s campaign at TomforOhio.com.

Resources:

We’re bringing together digital creators from across the state to build a powerful digital organizing network called Ohio Creators for Progress. Support and donate to this effort below! ⬇️

Donate here!

Connect with United SHE Stands:

This episode was edited by Kevin Tanner. Learn more about him and his services here:

Run for Something, Fight for Everything, Change America with Amanda Litman

Sara Petrie — Tue, 14 Apr 2026 09:31:06 GMT

In episode 173, we talk with Amanda Litman, the cofounder and president of Run for Something, which recruits and supports young, diverse leaders running for local office. We talk about what it really takes to rebuild Democratic power from the ground up and why the path forward might look different than you’d expect.

Since 2017, Run for Something has launched the careers of thousands of millennials and Gen Z candidates and in the process, changed what leadership looks like in America. Amanda is also the author of two books: When We’re In Charge: The Next Generation’s Guide to Leadership, and Run for Something: A Real-Talk Guide to Fixing the System Yourself, a how-to manual for people running for office.

Before launching Run for Something, Amanda worked on multiple presidential and statewide political campaigns. She graduated from Northwestern University and lives in Brooklyn with her husband, two daughters, and their sometimes rowdy dog.

Resources:

Run for Something Website
Ready to Run? Start here!
Run for Something’s Social Media
Amanda’s Website
Amanda’s Books
- When We’re in Charge
- Run for Something
Amanda’s Social Media

We’re bringing together digital creators from across the state to build a powerful digital organizing network called Ohio Creators for Progress. Support and donate to this effort below! ⬇️

Donate here!

Connect with United SHE Stands:

This episode was edited by Kevin Tanner. Learn more about him and his services here:

We Have a Primary Challenger: Carl Setzer Wants to Represent Ohio's 14th Congressional District

Sara Petrie — Tue, 07 Apr 2026 09:30:48 GMT

In episode 172, congressional candidate Carl Setzer tells us how he went from insider to outsider. He was raised inside the ultra-conservative movement and is now running as a Democrat in Ohio’s 14th District with a very different vision for what public service should look like.

Carl Setzer, born in Ohio, experienced firsthand the consequences when powerful individuals in Ohio politics face no accountability. He has navigated through broken systems—government, corporations, and movements that demand loyalty yet deliver nothing in return. From factory floors to foreign capitals, Carl Setzer has witnessed who gets crushed and who receives protection, shaping his perspective as he runs for Congress.

Resources:

We’re bringing together digital creators from across the state to build a powerful digital organizing network called Ohio Creators for Progress. Support and donate to this effort below! ⬇️

Donate here!

Connect with United SHE Stands:

This episode was edited by Kevin Tanner. Learn more about him and his services here:

Dad, Doctor, Democrat: Zach Rossfeld is Running for Ohio House District 7

Sara Petrie — Tue, 31 Mar 2026 09:30:54 GMT

In episode 171, we sit down with Zach Rossfeld, candidate for Ohio House District 7. As a practicing physician and former Ohio Medicaid official, Zach has seen firsthand what broken policy costs real people and he's done waiting for someone else to fix it. We talk healthcare, public schools, reproductive rights, and what gives him hope.

Zach is a dad and a doctor who’s running for quality, funded schools and for healthcare that puts people first. A lifelong Ohioan, he and his wife Kara are raising their two children (and puppy) in Clintonville. Dr. Rossfeld sees patients as an Associate Clinical Professor of Internal Medicine at Ohio State and, until this campaign, had served as an Assistant Medical Director for Ohio Medicaid. He understands what it takes to be an effective policymaker and has a track record of shaping large programs to help everyday Ohioans. With his two young children in public school and his patients struggling to get the care they deserve, Dr. Rossfeld knows that we all deserve better. And that’s why he’s running for state representative: for the public good.

Resources:

We’re bringing together digital creators from across the state to build a powerful digital organizing network called Ohio Creators for Progress. Support and donate to this effort below! ⬇️

Donate here!

Connect with United SHE Stands:

This episode was edited by Kevin Tanner. Learn more about him and his services here:

Influencer Expectations, Avoiding Accountability, and the Male Gaze: A Conversation with Haley Pepper

Sara Petrie — Tue, 24 Mar 2026 09:31:03 GMT

In episode 170, we’re joined by our new friend Haley Pepper! We dig into the nuance of whether influencers have a responsibility to speak up, how beauty culture and the male gaze are being reexamined, and what it really means to ‘protect your peace’ when the world is on fire.

Haley is a women’s health activist, birth and postpartum doula, NFL wife, and mom of two. She hosts Detoxed, which is an evidence-based wellness podcast dedicated to redefining and reclaiming women's health beyond trends and consumerism. She’s loud on social media about politics and we LOVE her for it!

Resources:

We’re bringing together digital creators from across the state to build a powerful digital organizing network called Ohio Creators for Progress. Support and donate to this effort below! ⬇️

Donate here!

Connect with United SHE Stands:

This episode was edited by Kevin Tanner. Learn more about him and his services here:

Ohio This Month: We’re Building Something New & BS at the Statehouse

Sara Petrie — Thu, 19 Mar 2026 09:31:03 GMT

In episode 169, we announce the launch of Ohio Creators for Progress, a digital organizing network bringing together creators from across the state to win elections online. We also break down some of the worst bills moving through the Ohio Statehouse right now and share how you can take action.

Resources:

We’re bringing together digital creators from across the state to build a powerful digital organizing network called Ohio Creators for Progress. Support and donate to this effort below! ⬇️

Donate here!

Connect with United SHE Stands:

This episode was edited by Kevin Tanner. Learn more about him and his services here:

People First Always: Jerrad Christian is for Ohioans

Sara Petrie — Tue, 17 Mar 2026 09:30:25 GMT

In episode 168, we chat with Jerrad Christian, Democrat running for Ohio's 12th Congressional District on a no-corporate-money, people-first platform. We get into healthcare, foreign policy, the economy, and what hope looks like when the stakes feel impossibly high.

Jerrad Christian grew up in rural Ohio in a working-poor family where government programs and community weren’t abstract policy debates; they were the difference between eating and not. He couch-surfed as a kid, watched his mom fight cancer with Medicare keeping her alive, and saw Social Security barely stretch far enough for the people in his life.

Jerrad served in the U.S. Navy as a flight deck fueler on a carrier during Operation Iraqi Freedom and, later, a meteorologist and oceanographer. After getting out and becoming a father, he took a job as a janitor in a factory - now he’s a software engineer. He’s never been rich; he worked his way to where he is through a lot of work and a lot of luck. He want successes like his to be the rule, not the exception.

Jerrad is running for office because he refuses to hand his son a country hollowed out by corruption, cruelty, and short-term thinking. He believes in clean water, honest government, working families, being a good human, and telling the truth even when it’s uncomfortable. He doesn’t worship politicians. He doesn’t punch down. And he won’t back away from a fight when the stakes are this high.

Resources:

We’re bringing together digital creators from across the state to build a powerful digital organizing network called Ohio Creators for Progress. Support and donate to this effort below! ⬇️

Donate here!

Connect with United SHE Stands:

This episode was edited by Kevin Tanner. Learn more about him and his services here:

We're Launching Ohio Creators for Progress!

Ashley Kindsvatter — Thu, 12 Mar 2026 18:49:58 GMT

We’re excited to finally share something we’ve been working on for months: the launch of Ohio Creators for Progress.

We know people’s views are shaped by their experiences, the people around them, and the media they consume. Today, social media plays an enormous role in shaping opinions and influencing elections. Gen Z adults spend more than five hours a day on social platforms, and 40% of Americans under 30 get their news from influencers.

If the last few years have proven anything, it’s that if we want to move Ohio forward and win elections, we have to win online. That means organizing digitally. And that’s exactly what the United SHE Stands Action Fund is building. The United SHE Stands Action Fund is a new PAC with the sole purpose of funding digital organizing in Ohio.

Ohio Creators for Progress is the name we’re giving the group of creators that will be organized and funded by our PAC.

We’ll be bringing together digital creators from across the state to build a powerful online organizing network. We’ll create community through meetups, creator events, and chat groups. We’ll support creators with training, collaboration opportunities, and events where they can produce content for local organizations, initiatives, candidates, and causes. And we’ll run coordinated campaigns and specific messaging across the state to help candidates, topics, and important stories break through the algorithms.

This doesn’t replace traditional organizing. Door knocking, phone banking, registering voters, and talking to friends and family will always matter, and Ohio has incredible organizations already doing that work.

But we can’t reach everyone through traditional methods alone. This program is an extension of that organizing. It’s a new branch of organizing designed to meet people where they already are: online.

Imagine fifty Ohio creators talking about the damage voucher programs are doing to our public schools. People who have never heard about this before and weren’t paying attention realize what’s happening in the Statehouse. Suddenly, the amount of people engaging with their representatives and pushing back grows.

Or imagine a fun trend takes off across Ohio (manufactured by us), with creators making videos supporting the Doctor Pepper for Governor ticket. The trend breaks through and reaches audiences that rarely engage with politics at all.

That’s the power of digital organizing, and it’s possible when creators work together.

Over the next few months, we’ll be rolling out events across Ohio along with virtual opportunities for anyone (creator or not) who wants to learn more and get involved.

No creator or account is too small. Every voice can help move Ohio forward and build a state we’re proud to call home.

Sign up today using this form - Ohio Creators for Progress Sign Up - and we’ll share upcoming event details soon.

Not interested in posting online? We still need help organizing the amazing Ohio creators and hosting local events. Check those options on the sign-up form if you’re interested.

One last way you can support us is by donating to the PAC - Donate here!

Please pass this email along to anyone you think would be interested!

We’re so excited to do this work with all of you,

-Ashley & Sara

From Tattoo Shop to Capitol Hill: Sean Connolly Runs for Ohio’s 6th Congressional District

Sara Petrie — Tue, 10 Mar 2026 09:31:00 GMT

In episode 167, we sit down with Sean Connolly to talk about what it looks like to run for Congress as a labor Democrat in a true primary. We dig into his bold vision for investing in eastern Ohio, from high-speed rail to strengthening unions, lowering costs, and rebuilding the middle class, and what sets him apart from the rest of the field.

Sean Connolly was born and raised in Ohio and built his life around hard work, personal responsibility, and creating opportunity. As a small business owner for nearly a decade, he runs his tattoo shop on the belief that leadership means working alongside people, not over them. He considers himself a labor Democrat, loyal first to working families and focused on raising wages, protecting unions, and lowering costs even if that means challenging his own party.

He’s running for Congress on a big, ambitious idea: invest in America again, starting with a high-speed rail corridor connecting eastern Ohio to major job markets, and a broader push to modernize infrastructure, create good-paying jobs, and rebuild the middle class. He says he’s not running to be a career politician, but to refocus government on working people and restore accountability for Ohio’s 6th Congressional District and then returning to what he loves - tattooing.

Resources:

Connect with United SHE Stands:

This episode was edited by Kevin Tanner. Learn more about him and his services here: