Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., campaigns for gubernatorial candidate Richard Cordray at TRISM in Columbus on Nov. 1. Credit: Casey Cascaldo | Photo Editor
Just days before the midterm elections, U.S. Senator Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., hit Ohio State’s campus Thursday morning to push voting in a rally with Ohio gubernatorial candidate Richard Cordray.
The pop-up rally took place at TRISM, a smoothie bar by day and EDM club by night, and attracted about 75 attendees.
Warren shared the stage with the Democratic governor candidate and his running mate, Betty Sutton, and addressed students about the importance of early voting and Cordray’s accomplishments.
“Not many people get to run for office on a record of saying, ‘I returned $2 billion directly to people in this state when they got cheated,’” Warren said in her speech, referring to Cordray’s time as the first director of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau for which she appointed him.
Warren said she remained proud in her appointing of Cordray on the 1,600-person agency that served to protect consumers from corporate greed.
“He didn’t care how much money the cheater was worth. He didn’t care how much political clout the cheater had,” Warren said. “What he cared about was right for the American families who had been cheated.”
Warren did not mention Cordray’s Republican opponent — Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine — by name, but she noted his attempt as attorney general of Ohio to sue the federal government to repeal the Affordable Care Act.
DeWine’s campaign has said throughout the race that he took the Affordable Care Act to court due to its federal overreach, but DeWine, who had his own national support in Ohio on Wednesday in the way of Vice President Mike Pence, supports protecting coverage for those with preexisting conditions.
Warren praised Cordray for his leadership and values, calling him “fearless and effective.” Warren went on to mention the national attention the Ohio gubernatorial race is receiving, crediting it to “shadowy groups” afraid of Cordray.
“They know that he fights from the heart. They know that he can’t be corrupted,” Warren said. “They know, worst of all from their perspective, he is effective.”
Cordray addressed the young crowd and praised the younger generations for being the “least bigoted” generation of Americans.
Cordray brought up the recent mass shooting in Pittsburgh that killed 11 people at a Synagogue, calling it something that “could’ve happened in Ohio.” Cordray called upon the audience to “renew our democracy in the face of these tragedies.”
After Warren spoke, attendees lined up for selfies and pictures with Warren and the gubernatorial team.
Jason Wright, a first-year in political science and public affairs, said that he “specifically came for Warren,” calling her a “liberal fighter.”
“I’m excited to go out and volunteer this weekend and help get people out to vote,” Wright said.
To continue efforts of getting young people to vote early, Warren also joined Cordray and Sutton in Athens Thursday afternoon for a rally at Ohio University.
“If we get high turnout among young voters,” Cordray said. “This is over. You will have changed Ohio.”
