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Michael Ashford was
recently described by one of his peers as a “quiet giant,
who fights fiercely for the people of Ohio District 44.” The
characterization is on point.
Ashford has exhibited a
patient but passionate relentlessness in both his style and
process since first arriving on the local political scene.
Appointed to city council in 2002 to represent District 4,
State Representative Ashford will leave the Ohio Legislature
on December 31, 2018 after having served the more than
116,000 constituents in District 44 for the past eight
years. During Ashford’s tenure in Columbus he ascended to
Minority Whip and served on several powerful committees.
One key to Ashford’s
success has been his relationship with his community, which
was nurtured by his ability to work closely with the faith
community across denominations and factions. More than any
other local politician, Ashford understood that it was
critical to maintain relationships with those who were
closest to “the people” and understood their needs and the
pressures they were facing. He would often take pastors and
preachers out to lunch just to make sure that he kept his
finger on the pulse of those he represented.
Yet, Ashford, like any
other fighter (or politician), took his share of punches.
What is impressive is that the “slings and arrows of the
profession did not deter him from his work,” said a one-time
political adversary. “Neither did they change his character
or integrity. He just kept fighting and trying to do the
next right thing.”
And that’s just what a
great champion does.
So, I spoke with
Representative Ashford to reflect upon his time spent
fighting on behalf of “his people” and what we can expect
for his next challenge.
Perryman:
What led you to a career in politics?
Ashford:
I’ve always been mission-driven to help people. I started a
nonprofit almost 40 years ago and from there I was a
volunteer and then became an elected official, but my focus
has always been to serve people.
Perryman:
What are you most proud of during your time in Columbus as a
state representative?
Ashford:
I was able to reach bipartisan support for House Bill 123, a
payday lending bill, which is the biggest consumer
protection legislation in this country. We have Republicans
that control the Ohio Senate, House and Executive Branch
that supported and signed this bill. What this does is save
people from the predatory practices that they have to go
through just to keep food on their table. So I’m very proud
of the fact that we were able to touch approximately two
million people to make sure that they keep more of their
money.
Perryman:
To protect the rights of the poor and working people against
the payday lending corporations that prey on them has been
one of the most impactful pieces of legislation to come out
of Northwest Ohio.
Can you provide some sense
of the thrills and disappointments of serving in the
legislature?
Ashford:
Well, let me tell you this, coming out of Toledo I thought I
was completely ready for Columbus, but when I got there it
was eye opening, even at my age because what happens is that
you have people who have been down there 15, 20 years or
more, who know the system and know how it works, so it’s on
the job training right away. But the fortunate thing for me
is that I brought the level of experience with being in
leadership on city council to Columbus, and being able to
work with all my Democrats down there enabled me to jump
into a leadership position right away. I was able to
understand the legislative process and the overall process
of helping people get elected. So that was an advantage I
had. Let’s put it like this, I had the utmost respect for
my Democratic colleagues in Columbus because they’d wake up
every day, they’d strap on their boots and they knew it was
going to be an uphill battle, but yet they’d go in and fight
for their constituents. I commend them for that because they
just don’t give up.
As far as some of the dark
things, even common sense bills that we submitted were shot
down because it was all partisan politics there. But this is
what I’m proud of too besides the house bill. I knew I had
arrived when I started to present bills and [the
Republicans] would take my bills to their committee and hold
them for a year and then renumber them and claim them as
their own. That was a compliment right there. I knew I had
arrived. I knew that I was doing something good.
Perryman:
What were some other obstacles or barriers you faced?
Ashford:
Basically, that the Democrats were outnumbered. Outside of
that, we knew it was going to be tough. It was always an
uphill battle to get legislation passed because you had two
different political philosophies. It’s real politics in
Columbus just like it’s real politics in DC. There is very
little bipartisan work, so that’s why I’m proud of my House
Bill 123 and everybody, all the Republicans, majority
Republicans, jumped on that bandwagon.
Perryman:
Why aren’t more people involved in politics in Toledo?
Ashford:
I’m glad you said the key word - Toledo. There’s all kind of
young folks being involved in politics in Cleveland, Akron,
Cincinnati, and all over the state, especially young African
Americans. The biggest problem in Toledo, is not the lack of
talent, but is the lack of financial support for people to
go into politics, meaning that if you’re a young person in
your 30’s or 40’s and you’ve got a young family, you can’t
survive off $27,500 just being a city council person here.
When you look at other
city council people like Cleveland, which starts in the
$60’s, Columbus is in the $50’s and Cincinnati is up there.
They’re all in the $50-60’s range for people to have a
comfortable income to take care of their families. So a lot
of young folks are not at that position where they can work
city council and then have another full-time job. So until
we change the pay scale for city council, what we will
continue to see is a lot of young people just not getting
involved.
Perryman:
What advice do you have for others who are coming after you?
Ashford:
I think what happens is that as long as you understand the
overall mission of why you’re there is to work hard and
serve your constituents, there’s always going to be some
uphill battles. You might have some great ideas, but because
it’s partisan politics you may not get your bill passed, but
that shouldn’t cause you to give up. You have to continue
to work that room, reach across the aisle and continue to
work hard at everything you do. And so my advice is develop
some relationships with both Democrats and Republicans,
which I had, and make sure that you’re fair and you treat
everybody with respect and dignity.
Perryman:
So what’s next for Michael Ashford?
Ashford:
Oh, I’m not done with public service; I’m always about this
community and about what I can do to help people in our
community, so I’ll find a niche somewhere.
Perryman:
Some might consider that response somewhat vague.
Ashford:
No, I mean, public service could come in politics, community
service, volunteering somewhere or in any of a number of
different areas.
Perryman:
You’ve spent the last 16 years in politics. What skills have
you developed that might be transferable to further service
in the community?
Ashford:
Well, it’s not only my politics, but you have to look at my
40 years of nonprofit experience. You also have to consider
the financial experience I’ve had both in the private sector
as well as political sector; my management background and
being able to supervise, evaluate, and manage facilities.
You have to look at my overall resume. It’s strong, and I
have worked hard to hone those skills that you can transfer
to just about any other field. And you know what? You get
that with age and you get that with experience.
Perryman:
Do you have any regrets?
Ashford:
Oh no, absolutely not. It was a wonderful opportunity to
serve people and be their voice in Columbus. I just know
that it’s going to be a great opportunity for the new state
rep and I hope that they take full advantage of it.
Perryman:
Okay, wherever you end up I’m certain that you’re going to
be successful and make it much better once you arrive. Best
Wishes!
Ashford:
Thank you.
Contact Rev. Donald Perryman, D.Min, at
drdlperryman@centerofhopebaptist.org
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