Trending
Both candidates were unopposed in the primary, but will face-off Nov. 3 in the general election for both Columbiana and Carroll counties, the territory covered by the 79th District.
Blasdel is seeking her third consecutive two-year term while Guy is seeking his first term in elected office.
"I have watched our area lose jobs and opportunity since the 1980's, which has forced a lot of our children to leave the area to seek better opportunities. Our schools continue to be under supported from the state even though we as voters passed the Fair Funding Plan. In my opinion, the lack of economic opportunities has greatly contributed to the rise of violence and drug addiction in our area. All of these issues can be solved, but I do not see any help coming from downstate to help us address the root causes," Guy wrote in his submitted election questionnaire as his reason for running.
Blasdel wrote that she's seeking office "to continue to serve Columbiana and Carroll counties and to make Ohio the best place to live, work and raise a family. I have focused my key legislative priorities on economic growth, energy generation, community safety, tax relief and workforce development. I intend to continue my work in this space, and be a strong conservative voice in Columbus for my district."
When it comes to qualifications, Blasdel is the current officeholder, serving two terms in the Ohio General Assembly since January 2023. Prior to her election, she served under two administrations in the Ohio Lieutenant Governor's office, first as the Northeast Ohio Regional Representative under former Lt. Gov. Mary Taylor from September 2011 to January 2019 and then from January 2019 to February 2022 as Northeast Ohio Regional Liaison under former Lt. Gov. Jon Husted, who's now a U.S. Senator. She was previously elected to the Ohio Republican State Central Committee for the 33rd senate district from 2018 to 2022.
During her service, she said she has sat on the House Finance Committee and House Energy Committee and chaired the House Natural Resources Committee, all important committees she said directly impact the 79th District. She also referenced her public sector experience working for both large corporations and a small family business. She served as a media sales consultant for Time Warner Cable Media from August 2010 to September 2011, marketing division sales representative for Cedar Fair Entertainment Company for Cedar Point and Geauga Lake's Wildwater Kingdom room January 2006 to August 2010 and as an administrative assistant for C&K Petroleum Products, Inc. in New Waterford from 1998 to 2005.
A retiree, Guy pointed to his work experience and demeanor as giving him the qualifications for the office being sought.
"I am honest and believe in the greater good over personal gain. I have spent my entire working life working with many different types of people to solve problems in demanding industries," he said.
His work history began in 1976 at Globe Brick in Newell, W.Va. where he apprenticed in the industrial mechanical group and achieved the level of journeyman before the plant closed and he left in 1984. He then worked building maintenance for a McDonald's from 1984 to 1985 before joining Hunt Valve in Salem in 1986, advancing from working in RD to starting and running the repair and field service department to serving as regional sales manager for the Midwest region.
He left Hunt Valve in 2002 to join BOC Water Hydraulics in Salem where he was the Vice President/Manager for Repair and Field Services, retiring at the end of 2024.
Guy graduated in 1976 from Beaver Local High School. Besides completing the industrial mechanic department apprenticeship, he's also taken several professional training courses over his career.
Blasdel is a 2001 graduate of Crestview High School and earned a bachelor's degree in business administration from the University of Akron in 2005.
She said she's proud of the work she's accomplished during her time in office, championing significant legislation and being responsive to constituent concerns. She also said it's been an honor to serve the district.
The three biggest accomplishments she listed on her candidate questionnaire included securing more than $8.2 million in capital budget projects across Columbiana and Carroll counties in just two budget cycles, championing legislation signed into law to establish a regulatory framework for carbon capture and storage technology in Ohio (HB 170) and passing Senate Bill 219 out of the House Natural Resources Committee which she chairs. Signed into law in June and taking effect in September, the bill was the first major update to Ohio's oil and gas regulations since 2012.
"I worked with the bill sponsor, Sen. Al Landis, and interested parties, to modernize regulatory frameworks, streamline permit processes and update rules governing well operations and leasing," she wrote.
When asked why voters should elect him, Guy said, "We have had 16 years of basically one-party rule in Ohio and things have just gotten worse."
"The first thing you learn in field service is to identify the problems, come up with an action plan to correct it and implement the plan. The second thing you learn is not to be too proud to admit that it might be better to change course if the plan is not working or if it is not the most efficient way to approach the problem or when the situation changes," he wrote.
Under current community activities, Guy said the last 30 years of his working career required extensive travel, so he confined his community activities to church when possible. After retirement, he served as a poll worker for the elections.
Blasdel listed the following groups for her current community activities: Columbiana County Farm Bureau member, county Agricultural Society member, county Township Association associate member, county Republican Party member of executive and central committee and county Republican Women's Club member. Her appointments as Ohio House appointee include OneOhio Recovery Foundation Board member (house delegate) and Ohio Environmental Education Fund Council member. She listed numerous endorsements, including the Ohio Farm Bureau Federation Agriculture for Good Government Political Action Committee.
She and her husband, Chuck, a former state representative, have two daughters, Presley and Raegan. Her mother is Seventh District Court of Appeals Judge Carol Robb, who's retiring when her term ends in February 2027.
Guy and his wife have been married 48 years and have a son and daughter, six grandchildren and two great grandchildren. After the unfortunate death of one of their nieces four years ago, he and his wife were granted custody of her three children consisting of two girls and one boy, with the younger two children still in public school.